February 24th, 2025Community invited to help ‘Shape the Ranges’ 

Macedon Ranges residents and ratepayers are being invited to share their views on rates, roads, rubbish and more, to help review and refresh a series of key Macedon Ranges Shire Council documents. 

‘Shaping the Ranges’ aims to put a spotlight back on multi-year documents adopted in 2021 – including the Community Vision, Council Plan, Financial Plan, Asset Plan, and Revenue and Rating Plan – which act as the driving pillars for what Council delivers. 

The consultation will see revised documents developed and informed by external feedback from the community and key organisations, internal feedback from councillors and council staff, and a focused engagement with a demographically representative community assembly. 

Mayor Dom Bonanno is encouraging anyone with an opinion on what the council should prioritise over the next four years, or anyone who holds a vision more broadly for the shire’s future, to take the time to review the existing documents and provide feedback. 

“These key documents outline what we commit to doing on behalf of our community,” Cr Bonanno said.

“In this initial phase of consultation, you do not have to have any prior knowledge of these documents – just a willingness to contribute and a vision for our shared future.” 

“Importantly, this will not be the only opportunity for the community to provide feedback – the release of the revised draft documents later in the year will offer another chance to respond to how we have interpreted initial feedback, and where we’ve identified changes to improve the documents.” 

Macedon Ranges Shire Council, like all councils across Victoria, is legislatively required to complete deliberative engagement – a collaborative, in-depth form of engagement – to review or renew key documents by October 31 in the year following a general election.

 The council is also complementing broader community consultation with a community assembly, comprising approximately 30 members independently selected to represent the broad demographics of the community. 

The assembly will be asked to participate across four independently facilitated in-person sessions across March and April this year, to deliberate on the key documents and provide feedback.

Those keen to have input can visit https://yoursay.mrsc.vic.gov.au/shaping-ranges and follow the survey link to have their say, with submissions in the first phase invited until March 18.

Due to the required earlier delivery and adoption of the Rating and Revenue Plan, the council may seek to incorporate feedback informing this plan a week or so earlier than the closing date of Tuesday March 18.

This story based on a Macedon Ranges Shire media release