Vol. No. Vol. 2818No. 3327
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Wednesday,February January 25, 13, 2026 2016 Wednesday,
FLYING HIGH: Ballet Under the Stars enthralled thousands of people at Horsham City Oval on Saturday evening as The Australian Ballet took to the stage. Among those to perform was Davi Ramos, pictured, one of many dancers to showcase their talent, strength and world-class athleticism. Story, page 18. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
‘Alarming’ gap MARCH 3-5, 2026
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SPECIAL EDITION 64-page lift-out inside!
“The funding model needs to change. We are now in an election year, we want to see a commitment to rural communities and an investment into our road networks, and community assets.” Cr McLean said while Yarriambiack Shire’s population was sparse compared to metropolitan areas, the shire generated about $550-$780-million in annual economic output, depending on the dataset and year used, placing it among the most productive per-capita rural economies in Victoria. Its Gross Regional Product, GRP, is estimated at about $556-million, despite a population of about 6500 people, highlighting its strong productivity relative to size. “We carry our own weight and deserve significant investment into our region and strongly encourage
ficient funds to address the deteriorating condition of assets – namely roads. The council faces significant challenges in managing and maintaining its 4603 kilometres of roads, 102 kilometres of constructed and unconstructed pathways, 86 kilometres of kerb and channel, and 92 buildings. Cr McLean said the council was calling on the state and federal governments to assess how small rural councils were funded and allocate funds to address the assets. “The roads within our shire are important strategic routes to move grains, legumes and agricultural product to markets,” he said. “We need significant investment commitments to bring our road networks up to the standards our communities and businesses need, require and deserve.
BY LAUREN HENRY
he future of sustainable funding for rural councils is in the spotlight, with Yarriambiack Shire Council pleading to both state and federal governments to address its forecasted asset renewal gap of $63-million. The council’s comprehensive assessment of its assets last year evaluated the condition of its assets, such as roads, to determine the necessary future investment required to maintain the base at standards consistent with community expectations. Mayor Andrew McLean described the $63-million renewal gap expected over the next decade as ‘alarming’, jumping from previous initial projections of $27.5-million. Cr McLean said the picture was bleak, with council having insuf-
the government and Opposition to consider this as a priority as they go to the election later this year,” Cr McLean said. The financial sustainability of councils is not a new issue – in 2010, a report by Merv and Rohan Whelan identified 18 rural councils as being particularly unsustainable ‘due to environmental and structural factors beyond their control’. The report found that many small rural shires face structural disadvantage and cannot operate effectively under the same financial models as larger urban councils, with their sustainability rated as negative or very negative. It recommended increased grant funding for councils with small populations to address the imbalance. Continued page 7
IN THIS ISSUE • Kinder teachers’ stop-work action • Fire survey invitation • Blue Ribbon Ball success Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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