council
Advocacy
council
Advocacy
Our Advocacy Strategy provides a prioritised set of initiatives to focus our efforts on delivering the community’s priorities.

Announcement

Advocacy and partnership priorities are based on the adopted decisions of Council. These decisions include the strategic objectives in the 2021-25 Council Plan, Annual Budget, other strategic documents and partnerships, and items identified and resolved at Council meetings.

Our advocacy priorities include a set of initiatives which are outlined for a point in time for us, as a Council, to focus our efforts on delivering the community’s priorities.

These priorities fall under the Council Plan 2021-25 themes:

  • Our Communities
  • Our Place
  • Our Environment
  • Our Economy
  • Our Council

The advocacy priorities and related 'asks' were updated in April 2024, guided by our Advocacy Policy.

Our Advocacy Strategy includes 31 priorities. Seven of these priorities are 'critical' and are outlined below.

  • Asset management
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Digital connectivity
  • Housing availability for workers
  • National Disaster Recovery Funding reform
  • Native timber industry transition
  • State-wide flood mapping integration

Position papers

Native Timber Harvesting in East Gippsland

Council supports a high-quality, low-volume native timber harvesting industry where our communities continue to thrive, forests have multiple uses and biodiversity is protected.

While recognising there are a wide range of views in relation to native timber harvesting, Council is concerned about the impact of the Victorian Government’s decision to cease native timber harvesting by 2030 on businesses, workers and the communities of East Gippsland.

Council advocates that the practice of clear-fell native timber harvesting be replaced as soon as practical with a new approach to silviculture (utilising thinning and select harvest) that maintains or improves forest health and reduces vulnerability to the impacts of bushfire, while also providing sawlogs for timber processing and supports the use of forest resources by a range of other forest users, including tourism and recreation.

Council adopted this position paper on 16 August 2022.

Read the media release.


Extractive Industries in East Gippsland

East Gippsland Shire Council supports high-benefit, low-impact extractive industries, where our communities continue to thrive, where our environment is protected and where neighbouring activities and future land uses are protected.

While recognising that there are a wide range of views in relation to extractive industries, Council is concerned about the burden that extractive industry places on local communities and municipal resources.

Council expects that the benefits of extractive industries are reflected locally (eg material supply for local industry, sustainable local jobs).

Council will advocate on behalf of the community when considering extractive industry projects.

Council adopted this position paper on 26 September 2023.

Read the media release.

Digital Connectivity - Gaps and Priorities Report

This report was designed and commissioned by Council to investigate the digital connectivity gaps and priorities that existed across East Gippsland, within communities, within the emergency services and within the business and tourism sector.

The premise on which this report was developed was that the provision of efficient and effective digital connectivity in East Gippsland is critical to its social, economic, environmental and cultural future.

The report finds that the existing level of digital inclusivity, defined as accessibility, affordability and digital activity indicates that not all community members, institutions and businesses are equally included, with the potential for creating digital division across the municipality.

Read the report.

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Asset management

Our priority

Asset maintenance is funded through a non-competitive format by the Australian and Victorian governments based on need and local government size.

What we are asking for

  • Change in policy change to allow funding to be allocated to asset maintenance.
  • Change to funding programs to see more funding allocated on need rather than competitive funding rounds.
  • A continuation of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Fund (federal).
  • Reintroduction of the Local Government Infrastructure Program (state).
  • An annual asset maintenance funding allocation that is indexed to Council’s asset portfolio and capacity to manage this portfolio.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with Council about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Our priority

To support net zero emissions by 2050.

What we are asking for

  • That local government and the private sector are provided access to funded programs to support the Australian and Victorian government commitments to net zero emissions by 2050, and in line with the Second National Action Plan the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework National Action 13 and 24 are implemented.
  • Matching funding of $250,000 per annum to co-invest in a climate change and adaptation program that covers 10% of Victoria.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

Digital connectivity

Our priority

Increase the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure during disasters, improve the quality and extent of coverage to support regional living, provide equitable access to services and digital technologies.

What we are asking for

  • Voice and data telecommunications are managed and regulated as an essential service, and emergency roaming is mandated for all carriers.
  • Mandatory infrastructure reliability standards that support emergency services, government and community.
  • Independent investigation into the widespread telecommunications infrastructure failures in the February 2024 storm event with clear recommendations and a plan for Gippsland to enhance system resilience.
  • Investment to enhance the resilience of infrastructure in the context of climate change.
  • A community partnership model in remote areas that maintains back-up infrastructure (i.e., generators) prior to and during events, improving reliability.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

Housing availability for workers

Our priority

Availability of housing at reasonable prices to support the attraction of critical workers for support services, businesses, and industry.

What we are asking for

  • Increase access to housing, at a reasonable price, for workers in East Gippsland communities.
  • Access to funding is required to support the provision of suitable land and infrastructure to support housing.
  • Recognition of the challenges small rural and remote communities face in providing sufficient rental residential stock to support existing and emerging businesses and industries.
  • Acknowledgement that short-term accommodation opportunities for property owners in East Gippsland’s tourism destinations is a contributing factor to the limited availability of worker accommodation in those areas.
  • Investigate opportunities to establish partnerships to support worker accommodation

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

National Disaster Recovery Funding reform

Our priority

Disaster funding arrangements, at state and national levels, that ensure relief and recovery funds are directed to community resilience activities.

What we are asking for

  • A fit-for-purpose disaster relief and recovery funding program which acknowledges the effects of consecutive and compounding disasters in a changing climate.
  • Expanding the scope of funding allocations to better support the costs incurred by local government authorities associated with disaster response and relief work, and the rebuilding of assets.
  • Ensuring funds, and claims processes, are aimed at ensuring community resilience outcomes.
  • Outcomes of funding will support lead agencies to undertake response activities, reconstruct assets for sustainable development, etc.
  • A reasonable, evidence-based claims process.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

Native timber industry transition

Our priority

A new approach to native forest silviculture is adopted that provides for forest health, reduced bushfire risk and benefits for a range of forest users including high value timber production. That impacted workers, business and communities are effectively supported in their transition.

What we are asking for

  • That the Victorian Government adopts a new approach to silviculture that maintains or improves forest health and reduces vulnerability to the impacts of bushfire, while also providing high value sawlogs for timber processing as outlined in Council’s position paper Native Timber Harvesting in East Gippsland.
  • Transparent accounting of funds allocated to support transition resulting from the Victorian Government’s decision to cease native timber harvesting on public land with a particular focus on funding allocated to and invested in East Gippsland.
  • A clear plan for management of East Gippsland’s forests, including investment in the necessary management of the forests to ensure their health, effective management of bushfire risk and use by a range of forest users – delivering jobs for impacted communities.
  • Extension of the development of Local Development Strategies to impacted communities that have not yet made an effective transition and bringing forward investment that delivers economic development and jobs, in line with the decision to bring forward closure of the industry.
  • Effective whole of Victorian Government commitment to the delivery of committed projects and services in affected communities, including commitments from the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires for replacement and development of public land infrastructure.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

State-wide flood mapping integration

Our priority
That Victoria’s planning schemes include updated flood mapping to better identify and mitigate flood risks. This benefits all Victorians by helping us build more resilient communities and infrastructure.

What we are asking for

  • The Victorian Government to lead, coordinate and resource the amendment of planning schemes to include updated flood mapping.
  • A coordinated state-wide approach is employed to the planning scheme amendments.
  • Support from the Victorian Government to address the challenge local governments face when working in isolation to reconcile community viewpoints with the consistent application of state policies.

If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

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If you would like more information or wish to speak with us about any of our advocacy priorities, please call us on (03) 5153 9500 or email feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

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