CONTACT COUNCIL Our main offices are located at 113 High Street, Broadford. Ph: (03) 5734 6200 Email: [email protected] Fax: (03) 5734 6222 Web: www.mitchellshire.vic.gov.au CUSTOMER AND LIBRARY SERVICE CENTRES 113 High Street, Broadford 125 Anzac Avenue, Seymour 12 Sydney Street, Kilmore 12/81 High Street, Wellington Square, Wallan We also provide some limited customer service through our Facebook pages: Mitchell Shire Council, Mitchell Shire Council Fire Information, Mitchell Youth Services and Mitchell Shire Leisure Services. While our main offices are located in Broadford, we also have staff and / or services at nearly 40 sites across the municipality including our Wallan office, depots, kindergartens, leisure centres, customer and library service centres, maternal and child health centres, outdoor pools, sports stadiums and youth centres. ABOUT THE ANNUAL REPORT COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORT All Victorian Councils are required to In an effort to reduce the impact on the provide an Annual Report that includes a environment and to reduce costs, limited Report of Operations and information copies of this document have been about any major changes that have taken printed. place, major capital works, economic or Display copies other factors that have had an impact on Customer and Library Service Centres. Council’s performance and a summary of activity and achievements. Website www.mitchellshire.vic.gov.au The Annual Report also shows how Mitchell has performed against the Hard copy commitments set in the Council Plan and Phone (03) 5734 6200 or email Budget, as well as prescribed service [email protected] performance indicators and an audited (large print copies are also available on Performance Statement and Financial request). Statements. Mitchell Shire Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land, those of the Taungurung and Wurundjeri People. We pay our respects to their rich cultures and to Elders past and present. Mitchell Shire Council | Annual Report 2018/19 | Overview Page 2 Table of Contents About the municipality ................................................................................................... 1 YEAR IN REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 4 Mayor’s Message .......................................................................................................... 5 Chief Executive Officer’s Message ................................................................................. 10 Financial Overview ...................................................................................................... 13 2018/19 In Review ...................................................................................................... 19 Capital Works Snapshot ............................................................................................... 26 Consultation Snapshot ................................................................................................. 34 Community Satisfaction Survey ..................................................................................... 36 Our Advocacy Priorities................................................................................................ 38 ABOUT MITCHELL SHIRE COUNCIL ............................................................................. 40 Our Vision .................................................................................................................. 41 Our Councillors ........................................................................................................... 42 Our Organisation ......................................................................................................... 47 Our People ................................................................................................................. 48 PERFORMANCE REPORTING 54 Strategic Objective 1 Advocacy 58 Strategic Objective 2 Community Participation 64 Strategic Objective 3 Responsible Planning 70 Strategic Objective 4 Strong Communities 84 Strategic Objective 5 Supporting Local Jobs and Quality Investment 114 Strategic Objective 6 Sound Financial and Organisational Management 127 Strategic Objective 7 Caring for the Environment 138 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 152 PERFORMANCE STATEMENT 180 FINANCIAL REPORT 202 About the municipality Strategically located just 40 kilometres north of Melbourne, Mitchell Shire is Victoria’s fastest growing municipality. As an interface growth area, we offer a mix of rural and urban living with affordable housing and a diversity of lifestyle and housing choices. Mitchell Shire has an estimated population of 49,000. In the next 25-30 years it is expected that 270,000 people will call Mitchell home. It is anticipated that most of this growth will occur in and around the southern townships of Beveridge, Kilmore/Kilmore East and Wallan. We have a high commuter workforce and our community relies heavily on regional rail and road networks to travel to and from work and for day to day community activities. Key employers within the shire include Puckapunyal Military Area, Council, hospitals, health services, schools and childcare, retail and services, Ralphs Meats and Nestle. Our agricultural, equine and tourism industries are also important contributors to our local economy. Our rolling foothills, open farmland, mountain ranges, rivers, creeks and natural environment are key attributes of our landscape amenity. This also means parts of our municipality are subject to natural disasters such as fires, storms and floods. At 2,862 square kilometres1, we are a large municipality with many larger and smaller townships and communities. These include Beveridge, Broadford, Bylands, Clonbinane, Forbes, Glenaroua, Glenhope, Glenhope East, Heathcote Junction, Heathcote South, High Camp, Hilldene, Hughes Creek, Kilmore, Kilmore East, Mia Mia, Moranding, Northwood, Nulla Vale, Puckapunyal, Pyalong, Reedy Creek, Seymour, Sugarloaf Creek, Sunday Creek, Tallarook, Tooborac, Trawool, Tyaak, Upper Plenty, Wallan, Wallan East, Wandong, Waterford Park, Whiteheads Creek and Willowmavin. We also cover parts of Avenel, Donnybrook, Flowerdale, Highlands, Mangalore, Strath Creek, and Tarcombe. 1 Australian Bureau of Statistics 3218.0 Regional Population Growth 2018 Mitchell Shire Council | Annual Report 2018/19 | Overview Page 1 KEY CHARACTERISTICS We have 19 schools for 7,500 We cover 2,862 square kms of students, many of which are rural and urban land including Melbourne’s Northern Growth already full. We need to Corridor. accommodate an estimated 10,000 future students in the next 20 years. We have an estimated There are approximately 0.77 local population of 49,000. In the next jobs available for everyone who is 25-30 years it is expected that looking for work. Many people 270,000 people will call Mitchell travel outside the municipality home. for work. Our local economy generates We had 581 new babies born in $1.67 billion (valued added) GDP 2018 and we added more than 600 new houses. and has a total economic output $3.28 billion. of Some people in our community 12 main towns, significant We have nearly experience 40 communities, 1 V/Line rail socio-economic disadvantage and service, 3 limited town bus we have a large difference networks and no bus between our poorest and connections between towns. wealthiest residents. Infrastructure and services > 676 km of sealed roads > 1 active landfill and 4 resource > 762 km of unsealed roads recovery centres > 426 km of kerb and channel > 22 sporting pavilions/clubrooms > 197 km of concrete footpaths > 9 sporting reserves, 2 leisure centres, > 16.5km of sealed (asphalt or spray 5 pools and 4 sports stadiums seal) footpath > 8 community halls > 39.5 km of unsealed footpaths > 44 playgrounds and 5 skate parks > 261 km of underground drainage > 12 environmental reserves > 9,586 drainage pits > 4 libraries > 59 vehicle bridges and 36 pedestrian > 9 kindergartens bridges > 7 maternal and child health centres > 24 public toilets Mitchell Shire Council | Annual Report 2018/19 | Overview Page 2 MyMitchell Photo Competition entry, Ian Wilson Hume and Hovell Monument – Kilmore Mitchell Shire Council | Annual Report 2018/19 | Overview Page 3 YEAR IN REVIEW Mitchell Shire Council | Annual Report 2018/19 | Overview Page 4 MAYOR’S MESSAGE Mitchell Shire Council Mayor - Councillor Bill Chisholm It gives me great pleasure to present the 2018/19 Annual Report. It has been a busy year as we work to deliver our Council Plan commitments and continue to work with our community to make Mitchell a great place to live, work, visit and operate a business. COUNCIL PLAN ACHIEVEMENTS The Council Plan is the main driver of Council’s strategic objectives which we report against each year in the Annual Report. The Year 2 (2018/19) Action Plan was significant, with 201 total actions identified. I am very pleased to report that the majority of these actions have been delivered or are underway. In Year 1, 81% of all projects were completed or on target, and in Year 2 this has increased to 87%. All incomplete actions have been included in our Year 3 Action Plan. A small number have been deferred to Year 3 for completion as priorities have shifted during the year. The complete list of actions and progress is included in the Performance Report section of the Annual Report, from page 54. ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING Our focus on advocacy has never been stronger with a State Election held in 2018 and Federal Election