Ararat Rural City Council have released their Annual Plan 2024/2025, the fourth Annual Plan produced within the cycle of Council's current term, and the final under its overarching 2021-2025 Council Plan.
This Plan also covers the period of transition to a newly elected Council following the October 2024 local government elections, and the development of the new Council Plan.
The Plan focuses on two key outcomes: ensuring that the strategies identified in the Council Plan 2021-2025 are operationalised in 2024/2025, and delivering key statutory obligations, particularly around strategic planning, of the newly elected Council under the Local Government Act 2020.
There are six key themes presented in the Plan, each of which contain a number of relevant objectives, and specific actions associated with achieving each of those objectives. The themes are: Growing Our Place, Building Robust Local Economies, Preserving Our Environment, Developing and Maintaining Key Enabling Infrastructure, Enhancing Community Life, and Strong and Effective Governance.
Growing Our Place is dedicated to supporting growth across our municipality through an improved planning scheme, new housing options and in-migration. Building Robust Local Economies deals with developing strong relationships to support diversity within the economy, job creation, and value-adding to the municipality's existing economic strengths.
Preserving Our Environment addresses the pragmatic and leading approaches Council is adopting in the realms of responsible environmental management and engagement with the circular economy. Developing and Maintaining Key Enabling Infrastructure is all about planning, funding and developing new infrastructure in ways that deliver strong public value and serve identified public needs.
Enhancing Community Life is concerned with social cohesion, enhancing safety, and supporting community activity. Strong and Effective Governance revolves around putting public value centre-frame via effective financial management, risk management, and community engagement practices.
"Transparency, accountability, and efficient operations are at the heart of our Annual Plan presentation," says Ararat Rural City Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison. "As the last Plan under our current cycle, this is a crucial operational blueprint which outlines our priorities, projects, and financial strategies - particularly during the transitional Council period. Council look forward to the achievement of the goals the Plan lays out."
