Advocacy and partnership priorities are based on the adopted decisions of Council. These decisions include the strategic objectives in the Council Plan 2025-29, 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 2025-29 themes:

• Community Wellbeing and Social Responsibility
• Prosperity
• Making the Most of What We’ve Got
• Managing Council Well

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2026 VICTORIAN ELECTION PRIORITIES

Road Maintenance Package

East Gippsland is a nationally significant food and freight region has a road network that is deteriorating due to sustained underinvestment and worsening weather events, with key routes affected by speed restrictions and poor surface conditions.

• $1.5 billion statewide regional roads funding package
  
  • Replacement of prolonged speed restrictions with funded remediation programs
• Design and delivery funding for priority projects, including:
  
  • Princes Highway (Orbost to NSW border) surface improvements
  • Great Alpine Road shoulder widening and curve safety works
  • Benambra–Corryong Road upgrades

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‍New Emergency Department - Bairnsdale Hospital 

This project seeks urgent Victorian Government funding of approximately $120 million to fund a new Emergency Department at the Bairnsdale Hospital as the first step toward full redevelopment.

• $120 million funding to design and deliver a new Emergency Department
• Complete a detailed design and contemporary masterplan
• Construction-ready business case
• Infrastructure build

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Unlocking Lucknow for housing development 

The Victorian Government housing targets for East Gippsland are 11,000 new homes by 2051. Up to 600 of these new homes are planned for Lucknow, East Bairnsdale. With suitable land selected and approved for building houses, the area needs upgraded drainage to support safe and resilient new housing and protect existing housing. Without these drainage upgrades, the land will remain prone to waterlogging and flooding.

• $4 million investment from the Victorian Government to deliver drainage upgrades in East Bairnsdale, unlocking housing supply. The infrastructure is designed and shovel ready.
• Construction of a modern, engineered drainage network.
• Implementation of stormwater management infrastructure, including new drainage basins, pipes, and water-sensitive urban design elements.
• Upgrades to local drainage systems to manage increased runoff and reduce flooding risk.

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Protecting Lakes Entrance and preparing for growth 

Improving drainage infrastructure will protect family homes, businesses, community assets, increase resilience in flood and rainfall events, and prepare for population growth in a changing environment.

• $4 million in Victorian Government funding to deliver drainage upgrades in Lakes Entrance, improving flood resilience and protecting key community assets.
• Construction of targeted drainage upgrades in priority flood-affected areas, including Eastern Beach Road and surrounding catchments.
• Implementation of improved stormwater infrastructure to increase capacity and reduce localised flooding, informed by completed drainage investigations.
• Development of resilient infrastructure designed to minimise future flood damage and support climate adaptation.

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Paynesville – ready to grow

Enabling Paynesville’s growth with safer, more efficient intersections that unlock housing supply to meet Government targets. To support growth there is a need to upgrade key intersections within the existing residential area. These upgrades will improve traffic flow, address safety concerns, and ensure that current and future traffic congestion is addressed.

• $4 million in Victorian Government funding to deliver a package of intersection upgrades required to unlock housing supply.
• Upgrade of the Paynesville Road (Department of Transport managed) / Grandview Road intersection to accommodate increased traffic volumes.
• Delivery of two additional intersection upgrades on local roads to support internal network capacity - Main Street / Ashley Street and Main Street / King Street.
• Integration of upgrades with the broader Paynesville Growth Area Structure Plan road network, ensuring safe access and efficient traffic distribution.

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Reform of the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund levy 

The Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) levy is placing a growing financial burden on rural communities, including East Gippsland, where residents already face higher costs associated with disaster risk, insurance and access to services. This initiative supports Rural Councils Victoria’s and other local governments’ advocacy for reform of the ESVF levy, with a focus on improving fairness, transparency and long-term sustainability.

• A review of the levy structure to better reflect regional capacity to pay
• Greater transparency in how funds are collected and distributed
• Long-term reform beyond the current temporary freeze
• Pursuing bipartisan reforms to develop long-term solutions for emergency services funding

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Lakes Entrance Indoor Stadium 

The Lakes Entrance Indoor Stadium will deliver a modern three-court multi-use facility adjacent to the Lakes Entrance Aquadome, creating a central hub for sport, recreation and community events.

• $9 million Victorian Government funding
• The Victorian Government to partner in delivering the build with the Commonwealth Government and Council.

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‍Bairnsdale CBD Revitalisation

Rejuvenating the Bairnsdale CBD will provide a blueprint for activating the CBD, enriching community life through a mix of business, social and cultural offerings.

• Funding support to unlock the full $40 million project and secure private sector partnership opportunities.
• $3 million in Victorian Government funding to:
  
  • Complete detailed designs
  • Develop a fully costed business case and funding and delivery model, including options for private sector partnership
  • Early works and planning/statutory approvals

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Princes Highway East – keeping our community moving

Improving the flow of local traffic, tourism connections, and freight movement through Bairnsdale on the Princes Highway supports growth, reduces time to market, and improves local road network resilience.

• Completion of a feasibility study and options assessment including traffic modelling, concept design and costings for Princes Highway East (Bairnsdale and through Lucknow) capacity improvements.
• Confirm a preferred upgrade option and staging plan for the Princes Highway / Phillips Lane intersection and surrounding approaches.
• Consideration of an interim solution to unlock additional traffic capacity:
  
  • Investigate the repurposing of the railway bridge as a pedestrian link across the Mitchell River.
  • Investigate a three-lane model for the Mitchell River Bridge that alternates between two lanes in one direction and one lane in the opposite direction to support increased point-in-time traffic volumes.

• Prepare a detailed business case to secure Commonwealth construction funding for duplication/replacement of the Mitchell River Bridge

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A new fire station for Lakes Entrance

Protecting the community with a modern, fit-for-purpose emergency precinct that can cater for the needs of a growing local community and visitor population. A new station is a regional CFA priority.

• The 2026/27 State Budget acknowledges commitment to funding for the CFA including station builds, planning, land acquisition and upgrades, including Lakes Entrance.
• The funding allocation for Lakes Entrance to expedite the planning and land acquisition for a purpose-built Lakes Entrance CFA station that enables on-site storage and rapid deployment of all vehicles and equipment, improves safety and response times, and provides space for training, community education and volunteer support.
• A commitment to fund the build of the new CFA station within the first two years of the next term of Government.
• Planning investigates future co-location for the SES and other emergency agencies.

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Public Land Management

Public land that is well managed with a local workforce can deliver environmental values that maintain and improve the natural habitat, support threatened species, reduce pest plant and animal challenges for adjoining landholders, and enhance tourism and economic outcomes.

• Locally led pest animal management
• Targeted funding through the Great Outdoors program to ensure better access and experiences at campgrounds and across walking trails, 4WD tracks and visitor facilities
• Improved coordination with councils and landowners on priority interface issues such as weed and pest management.
• Investment in improving outcomes for threatened species - flora and fauna, tracks and trails and other infrastructure, that will lead to better protections of the natural environment with a localised delivery focus to support small communities.

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Forestry Transition

Families in timber-dependent towns such as Cann River, Orbost, Nowa Nowa, Swifts Creek and surrounding districts, have historically relied on forestry and the associated industries for direct and indirect employment. Communities are raising concerns that transition funding is not being delivered transparently, equitably, or at sufficient speed to support the required economic recovery.

• A review of the governance, transparency and delivery of existing transition programs.
• East Gippsland communities want to understand how the program is supporting their families and how funding translates into real local outcomes.
• Streamlined grant processes and faster approvals.
• Extension of transition program timeframes beyond June 2027.

> Read more