Council engaged in April 2023 on its Geographic Naming, Lease and Licence, and Property Sale, Transfer and Acquisition policies following a review to support compliance with legislative changes.

The updated policies, which can be viewed in the document library on the right of this page, were endorsed at a meeting on 19 July 2023.

Your feedback

More than 650 residents visited the project page during April and May of 2023 with around 50 downloading the policy documents. Three visitors chose to make comments.

As a result of this feedback a minor amendment was subsequently made to the Lease and Licence Policy to add the words "or Board" after "committee of management".


Summary of Revisions

Geographic Naming Policy

Geographic Naming Policy image example

In the naming of roads, features, and localities within the municipality, Council favours and encourages the use of names that act as a reminder of local history, and culture, or recognise the individual contribution of a local resident while being mindful also to achieve a balanced representation of:

  • Aboriginal and First Nations Peoples
  • Gender Equality
  • Local historical events or figures
  • Our present-day multicultural community

The naming process itself involves extensive community consultation with the final outcome dependent on both Local and State Government approval. This process can take six to twelve months and is outlined in the Geographic Naming Policy.

This Policy is designed to ensure consistency in approach while also ensuring names comply with the guidelines outlined in the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 which can be viewed on Geographic Names Victoria’s website

Following recent updates to the 2016 Naming Rules, now known as the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria 2022 (Naming Rules), Council has updated its existing Policy to accurately reflect these changes.

Amendments include:

Section

Change

Introduction
  • Acknowledgement of updated Naming Rules.

Definitions
  • Administrative updates.

Policy
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

Principles

Updated principles in line with the updated Naming Rules including:

  • Principle 2 (E) Recognition and use of Traditional Owner languages (formerly Principle 2 (F) Recognition and use of Indigenous Australian Names).
  • Principle 2 (G) Gender equality.

Naming Themes
  • Included Gender Equality as a naming theme.
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

New Subdivisions and Private Land
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.
  • Further information on the naming of established private roads (including common property).

Engagement
  • Removal of the mandatory requirement to advertise in a local newspaper as per the updated Naming Rules. Advertising in a local newspaper may still occur depending on the scope of the naming proposal.

Lease and Licence Policy

Image of a Council building

The Lease and Licence Policy provides a framework for leasing and licensing Council-owned buildings and land across the municipality, along with Crown Land where the Council is the designated Committee of Management, and land or buildings leased or licensed to Council from another party.

While some Council managed properties are leased for commercial purposes and generate market rents, most are leased at subsidised rates for community and not-for-profit purposes to support health and wellbeing and recreation outcomes in our community. This includes properties used for community centres, child care centres, senior citizens centres, scout halls, club rooms, recreation spaces and sporting facilities.

This Policy has been updated to align with the requirements of section 115 of the Local Government Act 2020 (LGA 2020), with changes summarised below:

Section

Change

Purpose
  • The equity objective has been expanded to include reference to Council’s commitment to gender equality, social equity and wellbeing.

Definitions
  • Building and Improving Lease has been removed.

Responsibilities
  • Director’s responsibilities have been updated to align with the preferred licence term within the Policy.
  • Property Management to provide annual reporting to the Executive Leadership Team from the Lease and Licence Register.
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

Principles
  • New principle included regarding Council’s commitment to gender equality, social equity and inclusion.

Eligibility Indicators
  • Eligibility Indicators for occupants in Category 1 (peppercorn) and Category 2 (Community subsidised) agreements have been updated to identify that the proposed use of occupants is to increase social inclusion and equity.

Policy - Over holding (agreements that are not current)
  • Included that capital works will not occur or be approved to occur at a site which has an agreement with existing tenants who have overstayed their lease, or an existing occupant where there is no agreement in place.
  • Capital works associated with safety or compliance are exceptions and in circumstances where short term funding for works is available, capital works may proceed provided the leasing process has commenced and there is a low risk to Council.

Policy – Community Engagement
  • Included the required community engagement process, as per Council’s Community Engagement Policy, if a proposed lease is subject to section 115 of the LGA 2020.

Legislation
  • Acknowledgment of the LGA 2020 and section 115.
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

Related Documents
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

Property Sale, Transfer and Acquisition Policy

Image of a meeting

Council is committed to managing its land holdings to maintain municipal benefits and ensure they are used, retained, maintained, and disposed of in a manner that best meets the interests of past, current, and future residents of the municipality.

The Property Sale Transfer Acquisition Policy guides all sales, transfers, and acquisitions applicable to Council-owned buildings and land in the municipality.

This Policy has been updated to align with requirements set out in Sections 112 and 114 of the Local Government Act 2020 (LGA 2020). The key updates are summarised below.

Section

Change

Introduction, Definitions, Responsibilities, Policy
  • Expanded the definition of adverse possession.
  • Minor rewording within Responsibilities section to identify that property transactions will be undertaken in accordance with Council Resolutions and/or within approved Delegated Authority parameters.
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.

Acquisition of Land
  • Removal of reference section 192 of Local Government Act 1989 which no longer applies.

Community Engagement
  • Expanded the section relating to community engagement to align with Council’s Community Engagement Policy and sections 112 and 114 of the LGA 2020.

Legislation and Related Documents
  • Included a reference to LGA 2020, Early Years Infrastructure Plan and Community Engagement Policy.
  • Administrative updates and minor rewording.