Snapshot of the Colac Otway Shire Council June meeting

Published on 30 June 2022

Snapshot of the Colac Otway Shire Council June meeting

To keep our community up to date with key Council decisions, outcomes and plans, please see the below snapshot summary from Council’s Wednesday 29 June Council meeting.

Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LCRI) Projects

Council agreed to reallocate $1,212,000 of Federal Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Phase 3 Funding, which has become available through Regional Development Victoria funding a component of the Irrewillipe Wetlands Development. This was agreed to be reallocated to:

1. Memorial Square Public Toilet Redevelopment, $1,120,000
2. COPACC Civic Hall Floor Renewal, $92,000

Adoption of Council’s Budget 2022-23, Asset Plan 2022-23 – 2032-33 and Annual Plan 2022-23

Following public exhibition, the Budget 2022-23 and the Asset Plan 2022-23 – 2032-33 were adopted by Council, as well as the Annual Plan 2022-23, which is an operational plan towards the priorities outlined in the Budget and Asset Plan.

Read the full media release on the adoption of the Budget, Asset Plan and Annual Plan.

Colac Otway Shire Grants Program 2022-23: Allocation of Funds

Seventy-nine community organisations, clubs, event organisers and businesses from across Colac Otway Shire were allocated a share of more than $297,000 in Council grants. A diverse range of projects and initiatives funded by the grants program included many in the shire’s smallest towns.

Read the full media release on the allocation of the Colac Otway Shire Grants Program 2022-23 funds.

Local Sports Infrastructure Fund mid-year round

The Victorian Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSIF) is a competitive funding program focussed on supporting the development of high-quality, accessible and well-designed infrastructure to conduct sport and active recreation activities. The Colac Otway Shire Council has historically been very successful in applying for these funds and it was agreed by Council that it will apply for $30,000 from the fund to undertake pre-planning investigations and designs to get the Irrewillipe Recreation Reserve’s off-field facilities concepts to a grant-ready stage. Council confirmed that up to $60,000 allocated in the Budget 2022-2023 is to be used as Council’s matching contribution to the project.

Consideration of Panel Report – Birregurra Flood Study Amendment C116cola 

Full support of the Birregurra Flood Study Planning Scheme Amendment C116cola (the Amendment) has been granted by an independent planning panel appointed by the Minister of Planning.

The Amendment will now be referred to the Planning Minister for approval.

Following presentation of this report to Council at the June Council Meeting, the Amendment has now been adopted as exhibited, subject to excluding a minor part of one submitter’s land from the overlay provisions.

Read the full media release on the adoption of the Birregurra Flood Study Amendment C116cola.

Community Engagement Policy and Committees Policy Adoption

Following six weeks on public exhibition with no submissions received, Council’s Community Engagement Policy has been adopted, which will now be reviewed every four years, within six months of the election of a new council.

After eight weeks on public exhibition, Council’s Committees Policy was also adopted, replacing the four existing policies on Council committees. This provides a clear and concise framework on committee types, how they are established, operated and reviewed. Four submissions were received, none of which recommended any change.

Bluewater Consulting Room Lease

Council granted a lease for the two Bluewater Leisure Centre Consulting Rooms to Corio Bay Sports Treatment Clinic, following an Expression of Interest process (running from 17 December 2021 to 28 January 2022). This is in line with the intention at the time of the centre’s development that they were to be used for allied health services, or other services aligned to Bluewater’s purpose. Corio Bay Sports Treatment Clinic has held a license agreement for one of the consulting rooms since 2017, however, the other consulting room has been vacant since the centre’s redevelopment. The lease term is three years with 2 x two-year extension options.

Award of Contracts

• Contract 2212 – Design and Construct: Bluewater Roof Replacement to Bowden Corporation Pty Ltd for the tendered price of $931,309 (ex gst).
• Contract 2122 – Port of Apollo Bay Breakwater Remediation Project – Sheet Pile Wall to Elstone Diving Services Pty Ltd for $2,374,905 (ex gst).
• Contract 2218 – Internal Audit Services to Moore Australia (Vic) Pty Ltd for $58,500 (ex gst).
• Council’s power contract is awarded to Victorian Energy Collaboration, following its offer for the supply of 100% green power through Red Energy. This involved joining an alliance with 46 councils (and potentially more to come) who are directly procuring an aggregated electricity contract and will run from 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2030.
• Procurement Australia – Insurance Tender Assessment Report informs Council to award a two-year contract for its insurance broking and risk management services to Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT).

All Council meetings are live-streamed, and archived recordings are available on the Council website for viewing.

The agenda for the next meeting will be available online the Friday prior to the meeting.