By Cr Rochelle Halstead
At our June Council Meeting, I was proud to see my fellow councillors working together with focus and a shared commitment to delivering strong outcomes for our community.
A number of significant decisions were made - including the adoption of the 2025/26 Budget, the San Remo Structure Plan, and our new Integrated Transport Strategy. Each of these plans has been shaped by the voices of our community and will help guide our investment in infrastructure, services and sustainable growth over the coming years.
We also adopted the Mountain Bike, BMX and Pump Track Implementation Plan, which lays the groundwork for inclusive and accessible riding infrastructure right across the Shire - for bikes, scooters, skaters and more.
Council unanimously endorsed sending the draft Governance Rules 2025 out for community consultation. These rules guide how Council meetings are run and how decisions are made, including during election periods. I encourage everyone to review the draft and have your say before consultation closes on 17 July.
We also endorsed a three-year plan to continue fireworks as part of Bass Coast's End of Year Celebrations. This decision follows a comprehensive review that included community engagement, environmental impact assessment and event attendance analysis. The results were clear - 84 per cent of more than 2,300 survey respondents supported keeping fireworks. The plan strikes a balance between celebrating together as a community and managing the broader impacts of these events.
Council also reaffirmed its strong opposition to the proposed Emergency Services Volunteers Fund (ESVF) levy. Even with the 12-month pause for primary producers, Bass
Coast ratepayers will still be expected to pay significantly more. The total levy collected in Bass Coast will increase from $10.56 million under the former Fire Services
Property Levy to $15.06 million under the ESVF, a $4.5 million increase that places an unfair burden on our community. Our advocacy on this issue will continue.
And I couldn't resist one more plug - please vote for Kilcunda in the Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards! Kilcunda is the perfect blend of coast, country and character, and this nomination is a great way to celebrate our region's charm. Go to basscoast.vic.gov.au/news-listing/vote-for-kilcunda to read more and vote.w
Finally, thank you to everyone who takes the time to contribute to council's engagement- your input helps shape the future of Bass Coast. Please visit engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au and also subscribe to our monthly newsletter. Thank you to my fellow councillors for their continued collaboration and focus on delivering for our community.