The election of our new Council provides us with exciting opportunities to reflect and look forward. This includes the creation of a new Council Plan.

The Council Plan informs all our work, decision making and strategic direction over the next 4 years. It incorporates the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan which guides Council’s work in protecting, improving and promoting our community’s health and wellbeing.

We’re also taking this opportunity to review and update several key Council documents to ensure that Yarra continues to thrive over the next decade and beyond. These include:

• Yarra 2036 Community Vision – A community led vision for Yarra that outlines your hopes, aspirations and priorities for the next 12 years.
• 10-Year Financial Plan – A financially sustainable projection that connects how the actions of a Council Plan may be funded to achieve the aspirations in the Community Vision.
• 10-Year Asset Plan – A roadmap to ensure Council can effectively use our assets including Council buildings, transport assets, stormwater assets and open space.
• Community Infrastructure Plan – A guide that informs Council’s existing and planned infrastructure planning to ensure they meet community needs now and into the future.

Outcomes of the last Council Plan

Over the last four years, Council have been able to deliver on key promises to our community to progress these strategic objectives. Examples of these include:

Climate and environment:

• Transitioning 28 Council buildings from gas to all-electric, powered by renewables.
• Continuing to find new and innovative ways to reduce our carbon emissions.
• Launching Australia’s first-ever inner-urban community battery in Fitzroy North.

Social equity and health:

• Supporting the construction of hundreds of social and affordable dwellings in new and significant developments.
• Revitalising and upgrading The Djerring Centre (previously known as the Collingwood Seniors Centre) in Abbotsford.
• Hosting Victoria Pride on Gertrude and Smith Streets in Fitzroy that attracted more than 30,000 people in its first year.

Local economy:

• Introducing a permanent parklet program to help support traders enabling hundreds of local businesses to use on-street car parks to extend their outdoor dining areas and comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
• Engaging with over 2,600 Yarra traders through our extensive business support programs.

Place and nature:

• Developing new open space areas across the municipality including pocket parks in Cremorne, Peel Street Park Otter Street Park and Cambridge Street Reserve.
• Planted over 2,700 street trees to increase the tree canopy cover, improve liveability and overall biodiversity values within Yarra

Transport and movement:

• Developing our first ever Transport Strategy that has guided the construction of over 40 sustainable transport projects.
• Expanding our 30km trial area to all of Collingwood and Fitzroy

Democracy and governance:

• Creating our first Financial Sustainability Strategy to guide Council on how to best manage our financial resources for the long-term in the best interests of our community
• Developing 16 community led principles through a comprehensive deliberative engagement that will inform future service planning and review.