Gazette Issue 1 2026

Golden Plains Shire Set for a Positive Year Ahead

Welcome to the first edition of the Gazette for 2026. As your Councillor group, we are delighted to connect with you through this newsletter and share some of the fantastic work happening across our community. This issue is filled with exciting updates on projects both large and small, showcasing our commitment to strengthening infrastructure, enhancing community spaces, listening to the voices of the community we serve, and supporting residents.

Council remains strongly committed to balancing community expectations by investing in the essential infrastructure that supports growth, while ensuring our financial decisions continue to support long-term community wellbeing.

In this edition we’re showcasing some exciting projects on the horizon, including construction for the Bannockburn Bike Park project, the Northern Streetscapes project and the latest road works updates. There are also plenty of updates on existing projects and initiatives, including Golden Spaces, Community Awards, the Active Golden Plains Sport & Rec Fest and Battle of the Bands 2026.

Council Meeting Schedule 2026

Residents and members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of Golden Plains Shire Council in 2026, where they can observe Council discussions and stay informed about local decision-making.

We’d also like to thank the community for your support since we’ve transitioned to a digital Gazette. This shift makes it easier to stay informed while also helping us to reduce our environmental footprint.

We look ahead to the coming year with enthusiasm and look forward to sharing the latest updates on all the great things happening across the Shire.

Yours in community,

Golden Plains Shire Councillor Group

This year, Council Meetings will be held on the following Tuesdays, starting at 6pm: 24 February, 24 March, 28 April, 26 May, 23 June, 28 July, 25 August, 22 September, 27 October, 10 November (Mayoral Election), 24 November and 15 December.

In 2026, all Council Meetings will be held at either the Golden Plains Civic Centre, 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn or at The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale.

All meetings of Council are livestreamed on Council’s website. For a direct link, visit Council’s website or social media on the day of the meeting, with a recording available on Council’s website following the meeting.

Any person can ask a maximum of two questions of Council during a 30-minute Question Time and all questions must be lodged by 10am on the day of the meeting by email, on Council’s website, or hand-delivered to Council’s Customer Hubs.

The meeting agenda is available on Council’s website on the Friday prior to the meeting. For agendas and more information, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au

Road Repairs in Golden Plains Shire

Council’s Roads and Drainage Team have been busy with road and footpath repairs across Golden Plains Shire.

Footpath Rehabilitation Works

Stage 1 of the footpath rehabilitation works along Colac–Ballarat Road, near Napoleons Primary School, has now been completed. The project involved renewing and replacing approximately 500 metres of deteriorated asphalt footpath, particularly in the section between Kingston Lane and Wells Road.

Bells Road Works

Council’s roads teams have collaborated to deliver important improvement works along Bells Road, addressing several areas where the road shoulders had developed significant deep drop-offs.

Key locations where works were completed include:

• The intersection of Bells Road and Cherry Flat Road

• Bells Road near the Glenelg Highway

2025-26 Road Grading Schedule Available Online

Golden Plains Shire Council’s Roads and Drainage Team is hard at work across the Shire, grading the unsealed road network in accordance with the 2025/26 road grading calendar.

Council’s annual Road Grading Program allows for grading of Council’s unsealed road network in the Shire throughout the year. Council has committed to grading every unsealed road in the Shire’s 705km unsealed Council

road network at least once a year through its Unsealed Road Grading Maintenance Charter.

Residents can visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events to see when Council’s graders will be in which areas of the Shire to easily track when maintenance will be done on unsealed roads. Residents can either put their town in the search box or click the calendar link to view all listings.

Instructions on how to search for road grading listings is available at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/roads.

Congratulations to the 2026 Golden Plains Shire Council Community Award Winners

Council extends its congratulations to the winners and nominees of the Golden Plains Shire Council (GPSC) Community Awards 2026.

The GPSC Community Awards 2026 were presented at an event held at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre on Thursday 29 January, where all award nominees were recognised and this year’s winners announced.

Join the COMMUNITY Engagement Register

The 2026 GPSC Young Community Hero of the Year is Declan Davidson

Joint winners of the 2026 GPSC Senior Community Hero of the Year are the late Wendy Leeanne Hellebrand and Gerda Ross and her late husband Dennis Ross

Joint winners of the 2026 GPSC Community Group Award are Bannockburn Wildlife Rescue and Linton Emergency Food Relief Pantry

The GPSC Community Hero of the Year is Evelyn Cannon.

To read more about this years winners, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/news

Construction Commences on Bannockburn Bike Park Project

The Bannockburn Bike Park project is in full swing with construction recently commencing in February.

The project will see the construction of 3 tracks designed to challenge riders of all skill levels along with accessible pathways and seating, including:

• Beginners’ skill development track

• LED lit intermediate race style asphalt pump track

• Advanced jump line

The Bannockburn Bike Park project is funded by $900,000 from the Victorian Government’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund and $305,672 from Golden Plains Shire Council. The investment also includes $50,000 towards initiatives supporting participation for people with disability at the bike park.

Join the Community Engagement Register to receive Engage, Council’s monthly engagement e-newsletter.

Complete the simple web form at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/ community-engagement-register

Email communityengagement@gplains.vic.gov.au

Introducing our new Councillor Column

Golden Plains Shire Council recently launched its Councillor Column – a way for Councillors to keep community members informed and engaged with what’s happening in their local area. Each month, Councillors will take turns sharing updates on local projects, recognising community achievements, and highlighting the issues they are hearing directly from residents. It is intended to provide a more personal and local perspective on the work of Council, and to help foster stronger community engagement across the shire.

To read the latest Councillor Column, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au.

Planning and Environment Act 1987, Golden Plains Planning Scheme, Notice of the preparation of amendment to a planning scheme, Amendment C106gpla Overview

The amendment implements a shire-wide Housing Strategy, the Growing Places Strategy 2025 (GPS) to identify locations for future residential growth in Golden Plains Shire. The amendment applies to all land in the Shire and proposes to introduce the directions, findings and implementation actions of the GPS into the Golden Plains Planning Scheme.  It does this by including an updated Strategic Framework Plan, which identifies the potential future growth and investigation areas and reorders and updates a number of local planning policies to reflect the findings of the technical research and recent government and council policies and strategies.  For further details, refer to the explanatory report about the amendment.

Details of the amendment

The Golden Plains Shire Council planning authority has prepared Amendment C106gpla to the Golden Plains Planning Scheme.

The amendment applies to all land in the Golden Plains Shire.

The amendment proposes to update provisions of the Golden Plains Planning Scheme to implement the findings and recommendations of the Growing Places Strategy, 2025 (GPS).

You may inspect the amendment, any documents that support the amendment and the explanatory report about the amendment, free of charge, at:

• the Department of Transport and Planning website www.planning.vic.gov.au/public-inspection or by contacting 1800 789 386 to arrange a time to view the amendment documentation.

•   the Golden Plains Shire website at www.goldenplains. vic.gov.au/resident/planning/strategic-planningprojects; and

• on request, during office hours, at the office of the planning authority, Golden Plains Shire, Bannockburn Offices, 2 Pope Street Bannockburn 3331 and/or The Well Smythesdale, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale by contacting 5220 7111  to arrange a time to view the amendment documentation.

Any person may make a submission to the planning authority about the amendment. Submissions must be made in writing giving the submitter’s name and contact address, clearly stating the grounds on which the amendment is supported or opposed and indicating what changes (if any) the submitter wishes to make.

Name and contact details of submitters are required for the planning authority to consider submissions and to notify such persons of the opportunity to attend planning authority meetings and any public hearing held to consider submissions.

The closing date for submissions is 13th April 2026. A submission must be sent to the Golden Plains Shire:

By mail to Golden Plains Shire “Attn Strategic Planning”,  PO Box 111 Bannockburn, 3331.

By email to enquiries@gplains.vic.gov.au including the words “Submission to Amendment C106gpla” in the title/ subject line.

The planning authority must make a copy of every submission available at its office and/or on its website for any person to inspect free of charge until the end of the two months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

ADAM MCSWAIN  CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER  GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE COUNCIL

COMMUNITY NEWS

Come Along to the Active Golden Plains Sport & Rec Fest!

The Active Golden Plains Sport & Rec Fest (the Rec Fest) officially kicked off in Smythesdale on Saturday 21 February.

An initiative of Active Golden Plains, the Rec Fest aims to generate awareness of activities available in Golden Plains and empower residents to explore a variety of physical and recreational activities offered by local clubs, groups and providers.

Community members gathered at the Woady Yaloak Recreation Reserve in Smythesdale for the first Rec Fest, where they were welcomed by local clubs, groups and service providers, and encouraged to get involved in a wide range of physical activities. These included football, golf, bowls, tennis, dance, gyms, fishing groups, BMX and basketball.

The second Rec Fest will be held on Saturday 14 March from 10am to 1pm at the Recreation Precinct Soccer Pavilion in Bannockburn.

To find out more, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events.

Visit the Golden Spaces Winter and Summer Exhibitions

Have you visited the Golden Spaces 2025 Exhibitions?

Currently on display at the Golden Plains Civic Centre in Bannockburn, the 2025 Winter Exhibition features artworks from over 20 artists across the Shire.

The 2025 Summer Exhibition is also on display at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre and will travel up to The Well in Smythesdale in April.

Golden Spaces is a free community-based program for group art exhibitions. The aim of Golden Spaces is to encourage the broader community’s participation in and access to the arts in a local setting while providing professional development opportunities for emerging and established artists across the region.

There are two opportunities per calendar year to participate in Golden Spaces, with the next opportunity opening in June 2026.

To stay up to date with the latest updates, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/golden-spaces.

Northern Streetscapes

Revitalisation Project –Community Update

The Northern Streetscapes Revitalisation Project will enhance the town centre character of Smythesdale, Scarsdale and Linton through targeted streetscape improvements.

The works will focus on minor streetscape upgrades and placemaking improvements, including:

• Improving accessibility and connectivity

• Pavement treatments and soft landscaping

• Improving road and pedestrian safety

This project is funded by $650,000 from Golden Plains Shire Council and $650,000 from the Berrybank Wind Farm’s Community Benefit Deed.

What We’ve Accomplished so far

Council began community engagement for the Northern Streetscapes project in 2021, adopting the Framework Plan in 2022 and refining designs through public input in 2024–25 while securing necessary approvals from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).

Current Status

Council received Planning Permit approval for Scarsdale and Linton in February 2026, and after DTP requested further information on 13 February regarding works in the Brooke Street–Smythesdale Road corridor, Council responded and expects additional correspondence within 30 days.

Next Steps

Once the Smythesdale Planning Permit is approved, final construction documentation for all three townships is expected to be completed and ready for tender by mid-2026, with all sites to be tendered simultaneously. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026. To find out more, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/news.

Renew or Register Your Pet

Renewal notices are being issued from Wednesday 4 March and are due by 10 April 2026.

Registration of cats and dogs over the age of three months is a legal requirement governed by State legislation, and Council is the government agency responsible for its implementation.

Why is registration of cats and dogs important and is it the same as microchipping your furry friend?

Microchipping and registration are different and both help ensure lost pets are returned home. Your pet’s microchip details are held by the issuing registry, such as Central Animal Records.

When you register with Golden Plains Shire Council, you provide the microchip number. If your pet gets out, our Community Safety Officers can scan the chip and quickly identify you through Council records.

If we can’t confirm ownership, your pet must go to an animal shelter and fees apply. Registered pets with reachable owners or emergency contacts receive a free first ride home.

Your registration is beneficial for more than just helping to reunite furry family members

Pet registration fees allow the Community Safety Officers at Council to provide a broad range of other important animal related services. This includes investigating dog attacks, dealing with nuisance problems like barking dogs and unowned animals, and investigating welfare reports.

You can learn more about Council’s animal management services at: goldenplains.vic.gov.au/resident/pets-and-animals.

Stay Fire Ready

Although the end of Summer is upon us, residents are reminded that Golden Plains Shire is still in the Fire Danger Period (FDP) until the Country Fire Authority (CFA) announces the end of the season. Community members are encouraged to stay vigilant, memorise your fire emergency plan and stay informed throughout the season. Your preparedness is key to keeping yourselves and our community safe.

For more information about bushfires and other emergencies, visit goldenplains. vic.gov.au/community/fire-flood-andemergencies.

Council’s Emergency Dashboard

Council has a new ‘Emergency Dashboard’ feature on its website to assist community members with accessing the latest emergency updates.

This includes VicEmergency, VICSES and CFA updates, road closures, weather warnings, links to relevant radio and social media channels and more.

The Emergency Dashboard is available to view on the home page of Council’s website at goldenplains.vic.gov.au

Keeping Safe During Hot Weather

Extreme heat is dangerous and can affect anybody.

Those more at-risk include people over the age of 65, babies and young children, pregnant women, people with acute or chronic health problems and people who are socially isolated.

Heat can cause serious and potentially fatal health

Fire Danger Period in Golden Plains

A reminder that during the Fire Danger Period, there are a number of restrictions that residents must adhere to and landowners are required to maintain the levels of fine fuels on their properties.

Landowners in Golden Plains are required to keep grass on their residential properties cut so it is no higher than 100mm during the Fire Danger Period. On properties more than two hectares, grass must be kept below 100mm, up to a minimum of 20 metres from a house or outbuilding.

Council frequently also requests a fire break along the property boundary, where assessed as appropriate, to protect neighbouring properties.

problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, trigger sudden events like heart attack or stroke, or worsen existing medical conditions like kidney or lung disease.

Take steps to protect yourself and others by keeping cool, staying hydrated, planning ahead and checking in with others.

To learn about some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and others, visit betterhealth.vic.gov.au/extreme-heat.

Join the Golden Plains Youth Council

Golden Plains Shire Council is calling on passionate young people aged 12 to 25 across the Shire to step into leadership and join the Golden Plains Youth Council (the Youth Council).

The Youth Council is the official youth advisory group to Council, providing a direct channel for young people to share their perspectives and have their voices heard.

The Youth Council provides young people in the community with a platform for leadership and training to help them inform community planning and advocate on youth and community issues. It’s also an opportunity for young people to provide advice from a youth perspective on Council planning.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) to join the Youth Council are invited now and can be completed by contacting Council’s Youth Development Team at goldenplainsyouth@gplains.vic.gov.au or calling 5220 7111.

Come Along to the March Golden Plains Farmers’ Market

The March Golden Plains Farmers’ Market will be held on Saturday 7 March from 9am to 1pm at the Bannockburn Heart.

The Market will feature a Good Friday Appeal stall by the CFA as well as a drop-in session hosted by Vic Grid to talk about the draft Central Highlands Renewable Energy Zone. There will also be live music, food stalls and great coffee to keep visitors entertained.

Mark the remaining 2026 calendar dates: 4 April, 2 May, 6 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October and 7 November. The Golden Plains Twilight Market will also be held on Thursday 3 December.

For more information, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/ community/golden-plains-farmers-market

Autumn School Holiday Program Fun

Young people aged 12 to 25 in Golden Plains Shire have another range of fun activities to participate in throughout the upcoming Autumn School Holidays from Tuesday 7 April to Thursday 16 April 2026.

The free holiday activities held across the Shire have been designed to support the needs and interests of young people, while also providing opportunities to learn new skills and connect with other young people.

Please note: Activities may change or be cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. Additional activities may also be added later or offered in place of cancelled sessions. Please keep an eye on our social media page for updates.

To see a full schedule of available activities and to find out when you can register, visit goldenplains.vic. gov.au/school-activity-program

Get Ready to Rock at Battle of the Bands 2026!

Come along and rock out at Battle of the Bands 2026! Featuring dynamic performances from emerging young artists aged 12 to 25 across Golden Plains Shire who represent a wide range of genres.

The event will be held on Saturday 21 March from 4 to 7pm at Turtle Bend Reserve in Teesdale. 2025 Battle of the Bands Winner “The Apples” will be headlining.

Food options will be available at the event, including the Bannockburn Men’s Shed Fundraising Sausage sizzle and Giovanni’s Gelato Cart (1 Free ice cream per ticket).

Presented by FUSE (formerly FReeZA Youth Events Committee), with support from Council’s Youth Development Team, the competition is designed to support emerging bands by providing a safe and inclusive opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.

For more information about the Battle of the Bands, and to get your free ticket, visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events

2026/27 Budget Engagement Update

Last year, Council brought forward the community engagement process to enable the consideration of community feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget.

Residents and members of the community were invited to share their feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget by lodging a Budget Submission, attending Thinktank Workshops and completing an online survey.

An online session was also held on Wednesday 28 January 2026 from 6 to 7pm to outline ‘what we heard’ during the Budget engagement process.

A Council meeting was held in February 2026 to consider Budget Submissions. The final 2026/27 Budget will now be considered for adoption at the May 2026 Council meeting.

Take Part Local Art Returns in 2026

Golden Plains Shire Council, in partnership with Geelong Regional Libraries, is working together to deliver the Take Part Local Art Program in 2026.

Take Part Local Art features eight engaging workshops led by talented local artists within the Bannockburn Library and the Well in Smythesdale. The first workshop of the series was held last month, with the next workshop quickly approaching in April.

Take Part Local Art is a fantastic opportunity to participate in innovative workshops, providing hands-on learning for creatives across the Shire.

To see the full schedule of workshops and to register to attend, visit https://events.grlc.vic.gov.au/events?r=thismonth.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Escape the Heat: Community Event Builds Climate Resilience

More than 100 residents attended the Escape the Heat event at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre, delivered as part of the February Golden Plains Farmers’ Market. Originally a seniors-focused program, it was expanded this year to a whole-ofcommunity event with a strong focus on heat health and summer preparedness.

The event was co-led by Council’s Community Inclusion and Community Development teams, with support from the Environment & Sustainability and Emergency Resilience teams.

Attendees heard from:

• Bannockburn CFA on bushfire property preparedness

• Geelong Sustainability on home electrification, energy savings, and available rebates

• Council’s Social & Population Health Officer on recognising heat stress and staying well in extreme heat

Free gelato, take-home resources, heat-health showbags, and children’s activities added to the day. A highlight was the CFA’s interactive SIM Table, which let attendees explore 3D bushfire modelling of local areas and gain a deeper understanding of how preparedness can make a real difference.

Escape the Heat continues to grow as an inclusive event that helps the community stay safe, cool, and resilient during the hotter months.

Up and Coming

Wiser Driver - A refresher course for responsible older drivers

Join us for an informative, informal and friendly refresher course, to upgrade your knowledge and build on your awareness of the Victorian road rules. Enhance self confidence in your driving ability and receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

The 3 consecutive sessions will run from 10.30am – 1pm on the below dates:

• Thursday 23 April 2026

• Thursday 30 April 2026

• Thursday 7 May 2026

Location: The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale

*Please note that all sessions must be attended in order to complete the course.

To book, please contact Council’s Community Inclusion Team. PH: 5220 7111   email: enquiries@gplains.vic.gov.au

GET IN TOUCH

If you have any suggestions for future editions or comments you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows:

Golden Plains Shire Council’s Community and Inclusion Team (during business hours): Phone: 5220 7111 Email: enquiries@gplains.vic.gov.au

Rates Payment

All Golden Plains Shire ratepayers will receive their 2026-27 Rates Notices in August.

There are three options for paying your Rates & Charges in 2026-27.

Customer Hubs

BANNOCKBURN

8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn Victoria, 3331.

SMYTHESDALE

8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale Victoria, 3351.

PHONE

P: 5220 7111

POSTAL ADDRESS

Golden Plains Shire Council PO Box 111, Bannockburn, Victoria 3331.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

P: 1300 363 036

P: 5220 7111 (24 Hours)

Cover: Active Golden Plains Sport & Rec Fest 2026 - Smythesdale

Photo: Pam Hutchinson

Keep up to date with the

1. Pay in one full payment by 15 February 2027.

2. Pay in four instalments, due at the end of September, November, February and May.

3. Pay in 10 monthly direct debit payments, due on the 15th of the month from September 2026 to June 2027.

If those options aren’t possible for you, we are happy to work out an arrangement that suits you better.

We appreciate that every rate payer has their own situation, and we can help. Call Council’s Rates Team at 5220 7111 for a confidential conversation.

Easter in golden plains

Golden Plains Shire Council will have altered hours during the Easter period.

Council’s Customer Hubs and Council offices at Bannockburn and Smythesdale will close at 5pm, Thursday 2 April 2026 and will re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

Essential services will be available during this period, in case of emergency. If you need urgent assistance, please call 5220 7111 and follow the prompts.

Rubbish and Recycling Collection

There are no changes to Council’s waste and recycling collection over the Easter holiday period.

Please remember to place your bins out the night before your collection day.

Rokewood Transfer Station

The Rokewood Resource Recovery Centre will be closed on Sunday 5 April 2026. It will re-open for normal operational hours of 10am to 3pm on Sunday 12 April 2026.

Maternal Child Health and Early Years Services

Maternal Child Health and Early Years Services will be closed from the evening of Thursday 2 April 2026 and will resume on Tuesday 7 April 2026.