The Strathbogie Shire is a vibrant and progressive rural municipality located about two hours from the Melbourne CBD along the Hume Highway. We have diverse and picturesque communities served by townships such as Euroa, Nagambie, Violet Town, Avenel, Longwood, Ruffy and Strathbogie. The Shire covers an area of 3,303 square kilometres and in 2018, Strathbogie Shire had a population of 10,645.[1]
Strathbogie Shire Council is represented by seven Councillors across five wards. One Councillor is elected annually by the Council to serve as Mayor. The Strathbogie Shire Council was formed on the 18 November 1994 following the amalgamation of the former Shires of Goulburn, Euroa, Violet Town and part of the City of Seymour.
Strathbogie Shire is bordered to the east by the Strathbogie Ranges and to the west by the Nagambie Lakes district and the area is renowned for its natural beauty, agricultural production, horse studs, wineries, restaurants, local produce, rich history and much more.
The executive management team, comprising of Chief Executive Officer, three Directors and an Executive Manager, is responsible to Council for the day to day management of Council’s many functions.
Our Community Vision
The Strathbogie Shire is a region of natural beauty with vibrant communities who are respectful, optimistic and inclusive. We have a strong sense of belonging and of our collective history. We care deeply for Country and First Nations people. We are bold. We embrace opportunities. We welcome you
Our Strategic Focus
At Strathbogie Shire Council we’re working hard to transform our organisation. We’re committed to being better, delivering for our community and responding to its needs. The development of our 2021-25 Council Plan is proof of our commitment to change. Its development saw us engage with our community like never before. For the first time we also used deliberative engagement techniques that empowered our community to write its own vision and drive the inputs into our Council Plan. Our engagement program allowed us to develop a clear understanding of our community’s values and priorities. These are reflected in the focus areas in our Council Plan, these being:
Our Community Values
In the future we foster and support creative responses in the community. This means:
- We are inspired by our creatives and celebrate art and culture
- We create welcoming social spaces where people can connect
- First Nations culture, knowledge and heritage enriches our Shire.
In the future our people are places are connected. This means:
- We all have access to important services
- We are moving through our townships on connected walking and cycling tracks
- We are focussed on activities that build economic, financial and social security.
In the future we consider Climate Change in everything we do. This means:
- We are minimising harmful impacts on our natural environment
- We are reversing biodiversity decline
- We are championing best practice environmental strategies.
In the future we involve the community in decisions that affect them. This means:
- We have empowered locals to make decisions
- We care, support and listen to each other
- We partner with our community to achieve great things.
In the future we have a thriving economy for everyone. This means:
- We are a smart spenders, buying local wherever possible
- We target economic development to enhance our region
- We are capitalising on our region’s strengths.
In the future we are planning to protect the special place we call home. This means:
- We have affordable housing
- We are managing growth carefully to protect the environment and meet our social infrastructure needs
- We are including responsible developer contribution strategies.
In the future our communities are filled with happy, healthy people. This means:
- We have protected ‘the vibe’ we love
- We are working together to share knowledge and get things done
- We are encouraging health and wellbeing activities in sport and recreation.
As a Council we will:
- Achieve the highest level of good governance across the organisation and as an elected Council
- Deliver responsive and timely customer service across the organisation in line with the timeframes set out in our Customer Service Charter
- Be accountable for the decisions we make and the quality of service we deliver
- Maximise public transparency and accountability around our performance and decision-making processes
- Be financially responsible, achieving the greatest possible community benefit from the programs, initiatives and services we fund
- Embed gender equity principles across the organisation and proactively encourage reporting of any form of inappropriate behaviour
- Ensure our organisation’s structure and resource allocation are regularly reviewed so they align with the goals and deliverables of the community.