Purpose of this summary report
This summary community engagement report is a condensed version of key themes represented in the full report available for review on our website here - Community Engagement Report, a document titled Council Plan_MPHWP_Community Engagement Report_FINAL_30042025.
We encourage the community to review the full report to find extended insights garnered through activities such as the discussion forums which is additional context not included in this summary report.
About the Council Plan
Planning for Our Future Together
By 31 October 2025, council will adopt a new Council Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (MPHWP) that reflects the community’s shared vision and priorities.
What is the Council Plan About?
The Council Plan is more than a formal document it is a four-year guide for how council will support the Northern Grampians Community Vision 2041: “To love where we live.” Created with input from the community in 2021, this vision captures what we want our future to look like. It will also connect directly to council’s annual budget and business planning, guiding everyday decisions and actions to bring the vision to life.
What Will the Plan Include?
• Council’s goals for the next four years
• The strategies we will use to reach them
• How we will track progress
• A Strategic Resource Plan
• Other key requirements under the Local Government Act 2020
Council will continue working closely with the community throughout the process, monitoring progress and staying aligned with our shared vision while being cleareyed about what is achievable.
An initial draft of the 2025-29 Council Plan material will be available for public review and feedback in mid-July for a period of 4-weeks.
For further information, please refer to Appendix 2 on pages 67-70 in the full community engagement report available for review here - https://www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/Council/Vision-andGoals/2025-2029-Community-Engagement/Community-Engagement-Report
Who we engaged with and when
In total, 1132 engagements occurred during a range of activities held across February and March 2025.
Community Vision 2041
To LOVE where we LIVE
As part of our engagement activities, we asked the community how well they felt the council’s vision “To love where we live” reflected their hopes for the shire’s future. People rated their agreement on a scale, and the overall response was positive, with most people somewhat agreeing with the vision.
Community Engagement Survey Insights
For further information, please refer to pages 16-52 and Appendix 3 on pages 7288 in the full community engagement report available for review herehttps://www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/Council/Vision-and-Goals/2025-2029Community-Engagement/Community-Engagement-Report
A total of 562 people responded to the survey.
The infographic above shows a breakdown of their demographics. Further details are available in Appendix 2.
*within the general survey. This does not represent engagement through the youth survey.
Top
five council services the community believes have the greatest positive impact on liveability.
269 Infrastructure Services (sealed/unsealed roads, footpaths, civil works, public lighting, drainage)
Equal 268
Parks, Gardens and Reserves
(managing and maintaining a diverse range of outdoor spaces and assets) and Leisure, Recreation, Sports and Aquatics (providing facilities that offer a diverse range of leisure opportunities)
223 Economic, Tourism and Business
Support (supporting economic growth, local businesses and the tourism industry)
218 - Community
Care and Aged
Services (providing a range of home care and healthy ageing services)
200 - Child and Family Services (delivering services to families with young children childcare, immunisation, supported playgroups)
Community services that ranked ‘highly important’ in order of %
Out of 416 ‘highly important’. Each of the 416 respondents to this question was asked to rank the list of services from least to most important. The percentages shown represent the proportion of people who rated each service as ‘highly important’.
Aged care (care at home): 226 (54.3%)
Early childhood education and care: 218 (52.4%)
Youth activities and engagement: 194 (46.6%)
Sporting facilities: 193 (46.4%)
Pools: 191 (45.9%)
Immunisation services: 178 (42.8%)
Maternal and child health & supported playground 169 (42%)
Recreation and active living programs: 162 (38.9%) Healthy ageing programs: 147 (35.3%)
143 (34.4%)
Top five biggest challenges facing our community
Ageing population Housing
Top five barriers to accessing council activities
Lack of awareness
None, they have been accessible, and I’ve been able to attend.
Financial constraints and geographic location
Transportation issues and negative past experiences
Technology barriers and other (not specified)
(based on state priorities)
Top five health and wellbeing priorities
Enhancing overall wellbeing (including mental health)
Encouraging active living
Promoting healthy eating (including improving dental health)
Preventing all forms of violence and reducing harm from tobacco and e-cigarette use
Reducing harm from alcohol and drug use
Community willingness to accept rate increase above the cap.
Community willingness to support financial borrowing to fund services/works.
349 people responded to these two questions, and this is what they said by %.
If you answered YES to a rate cap increase, what services or construction projects would you like to see funded?
24
If you answered NO to a rate cap increase, please indicate where you feel cuts could be made to community services, infrastructure or construction works.
If you answered no to financial borrowings, please indicate where you feel cuts could be made to community services, infrastructure or construction works?
Council Staffing and Internal Costs
Non-Core Services and Programs
Sporting Infrastructure – Already
Adequate or Low Use
Fleet Vehicles and Perks
Project Efficiency and Smarter Spending
Conservative Fiscal Approach/Budget Discipline
Grants and Alternative Funding
Youth Engagement Survey Insights
For further information, please refer to pages 57-59 and Appendix 4 on pages 8994 in the full community engagement report available for review herehttps://www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/Council/Vision-and-Goals/2025-2029Community-Engagement/Community-Engagement-Report
Who we engaged with and when
As part of the development of the Council Plan, we set out to hear directly from our young people: what they value, what challenges they face, and what they hope for in the years ahead.
Through a targeted youth survey, nearly 200 young people aged 12 to 18+ shared their thoughts on life in the shire what’s working, what needs improving, and where council can make a real difference.
Quick participation insights
• 197 total respondents aged between 12–18+ years
• 50% female, 46% male, 4% non-binary or self-described
• 15% LGBTQIA+, 7.6% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 10% live with/care for someone with a disability
What council services matter most to young people?
Leisure, recreation, sports and pools (61%)
Parks,
gardens, and reserves (55%)
Education and learning opportunities (47%)
Infrastructure like roads, lighting, paths (36%)
Top three health and wellbeing priorities for young people (based on state priorities)
Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Workshop Insights
For further information, please refer to pages 60-65, Appendix 6 on pages 96103, and Appendix 7 on pages 104-113 in the full community engagement report available for review here - https://www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/Council/Vision-andGoals/2025-2029-Community-Engagement/Community-Engagement-Report
Who we engaged with and when
To inform the development of Northern Grampians Shire’s combined Council and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, two workshops were held with with key health and human service stakeholders in March 2025. These sessions built on prior engagement and community data and focused on identifying local priorities and potential actions to improve community health and wellbeing. See Appendix 5 for a list of participating stakeholders, and Appendix 6 for detailed workshop one outputs.
Workshops held with key health and human service stakeholders were as follows:
Workshops
Workshop One Councillors and Council Staff
Workshop Two Councillors and Council Staff
Location, Time and Date No. of Attendees
Thursday, March 13, 10am - 1pm
Stawell – North Park 25
Thursday, March 27, 10am - 1pm
Stawell – North Park 25
The following organisations participated in the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing stakeholder workshops:
Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative
Central Grampians LLEN
Concongella Primary School
DFFH Community Partnerships
East Wimmera Health Service
Grampians Community Health
Grampians Health GPHU
Grampians Multicultural Hub
North Central LLEN
Northern Grampians Shire Council
Pinnacle Inc.
Stawell Secondary College
The Orange Door Wimmera
Women’s Health Grampians
Identified health and wellbeing priorities for the community (outcomes of workshop one)
Improving access to health services for all people by removing barriers
Preventing all forms of violence with a focus on education and awareness
Identifying the complex mental health and wellbeing service gaps across age groups
Focusing on the impact climate change has on mental and physical health
Removing barriers to physical activity and participation inequalities in the community
Addressing health, educational and social concerns of children and young people
Identifying ways to increase community connection and minimise isolation
Identifying ways to address declining volunteerism rates
Assess the impacts of housing affordability and availability on homelessness
Top five health and wellbeing priorities
(based on state priorities)
Enhancing overall wellbeing (including mental health)
Preventing all forms of violence
Encouraging active living
Promoting healthy eating (including improving dental health)
Tackling climate change and its impacts on health
