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Baw Baw Shire’s new CEO takes leave after cancer diagnosis
Murrindindi funded for mobile generator
Gold Coast chamber move halted
Blue Blob prank ridicule in Mount Gambier
Merri-bek compromise on cat curfew
Orange stop construction application dismissed
Manningham Snap Send Solve updates
LeadWest responds to new bus services
Baw Baw truffle festival grant
Ballina SRV opposition grows
Griffith Councillor’s piano push continues
Councils owed money from failed airlines
Joondalup plants centennial lone pine
Kiama Mayor sets record straight on building heights
Gold Coast artificial turf dispute
Victorian solar battery first
OLG regulation review
VIC: The newly appointed CEO of Baw Baw Shire Council has been forced to take unplanned leave after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Tilla Buden will be on leave for the foreseeable future, and acting CEO arrangements are pending.
In a statement, the Council said it fully supports Ms Buden as she focuses on her health and wellbeing.
Ms Buden was appointed to the CEO position at Baw Baw in September and was due to commence in the role this coming week.
VIC: Murrindindi Shire Council has secured funding from AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund for a mobile generator.
The trailer-mounted unit will strengthen emergency preparedness across the region.
It can be deployed to Emergency Relief Centres and community hubs during severe weather events and power outages.
Recent storms have highlighted the need for flexible backup power in the geographically diverse Shire.
The generator will support essential services including lighting, heating, and communications from early next year.
QLD: The Gold Coast Bulletin reports today that Gold Coast Council has put the brakes on plans to relocate its chambers from Evandale to Bundall amid growing budget concerns.
Mayor Tom Tate says the shovel-ready project has been paused to ensure community projects are delivered strategically.
The move would have freed up the HOTA precinct for cultural expansion, including a proposed Lyric Theatre.
Council sources say several councillors expressed concern about spending ahead of budget sessions.
The chamber relocation will now be reconsidered as part of a broader Bundall precinct masterplan due in early 2026.
SA: A teenager in Mount Gambier has been charged after placing googly eyes on the town’s iconic Blue Blob sculpture.
The Advertiser reported that the prank has sparked international attention and ridicule aimed at the Mount Gambier Council.
Critics worldwide are questioning why police resources are being spent on prosecuting harmless street art, and the council is facing backlash for taking legal action over what many see as a lighthearted joke.
Social media users are calling on authorities to “fight actual crime” instead.
VIC: Merri-bek Council has scaled back its controversial cat curfew proposal after community opposition.
The Herald Sun reported that a compromise position will see cats registered before April 2027 subject to a night-time curfew from 7pm to 7am, while new cats registered after that date must be kept indoors around the clock.
The decision followed heated debate, with over 400 residents opposing any curfew due to concerns about housing insecurity and pet welfare, while others argued cats should be contained like dogs to protect wildlife.
The new rules take effect in April 2027, requiring outdoor enclosures or leashed walks for confined cats.
NSW: An application to stop construction work at the Orange Regional Sporting Precinct has been dismissed by the Federal Government’s Heritage Department.
The application was lodged under Aboriginal heritage protection laws, claiming the area was significant under Aboriginal tradition.
Orange City Council says it undertook extensive consultation with the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council and Indigenous Elders during the approval process.
Mayor Tony Mileto said the decision supports the work council put into the project before construction began.
VIC: Manningham City Council has made some updates to its Snap Send Solve reporting service.
Every report submitted now received a reference number, and real-time status updates are available through in-app notifications.
Manningham recently rated fourth in Australia in the Snap Send Solve Community Satisfaction Index.
VIC: Advocacy alliance LeadWest has welcomed news that Melbourne’s west will get more than 1500 extra weekly bus services from December seventh.
The Victorian Government has announced two new bus routes and additional services for suburbs including Tarneit, Truganina and Laverton.
LeadWest says the investment is essential for Australia’s fastest-growing region.
A contract has also been awarded for the Melton Line Upgrade, which will boost passenger capacity by fifty percent from 2027.
Chair of LeadWest, Cr Dr Phillip Zada said the group, representing Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham, will continue to push for full electrification of the Melton line as part of the Western Rail Plan.
VIC: Baw Baw Shire Council has secured a $173,000 Victorian Government grant to launch an annual truffle festival in Noojee starting in 2026.
The three-week event will run during July and August, featuring truffle hunts, cooking demonstrations, farm tours, and artisan markets showcasing the region’s locally grown black truffles.
The festival is part of the Forestry Transition Program, helping the community create new economic opportunities in sustainable industries.
NSW: Ballina Shire Council is facing growing opposition to a Special Rate Variation that would increase rates by more than 26 percent over five years, according to Ballina News Daily.
Former councillor Jeff Johnson and aged-care worker Pip Carter say the rise will hurt struggling residents and small businesses already dealing with cost-of-living pressures.
Critics claim Council’s consultation is biased, with no option to oppose the increase without nominating service cuts.
All ten sitting councillors have voted to progress the proposal.
NSW: Griffith councillor Jenny Ellis is pushing ahead with plans to install a public community piano in the town, despite her motion failing to get support at a recent council meeting.
The ABC TV program The Piano funds delivery of secondhand pianos to towns, and Cr Ellis will apply for Griffith to participate in the next series.
Region Riverina reported that if unsuccessful, Cr Ellis plans to proceed anyway with support from local music and art groups, using donated pianos and volunteer artists to paint them.
She says vandalism is rare with such projects worldwide, and the piano would be installed in a secure location at Griffith Central shopping centre.
VIC/NSW: Regional councils are calling on the federal government to enforce bonds on airlines using their airports, according to ABC News.
Albury City Council says it’s owed almost one million dollars from Rex, Virgin Australia, Bonza and Jetgo.
Wagga Wagga and Mildura councils are also owed significant amounts from failed carriers.
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack says the government needs to look at underwriting airlines if they can’t demonstrate viability.
A Senate committee inquiry will examine regional airline failures and their impact on local communities.
WA: A centennial lone pine has been planted at Ocean Reef Marina to mark Remembrance Day in the City of Joondalup.
The tree, donated by Joondalup City RSL President Rick Green, stands near the ANZAC Memorial Arch as a living tribute to those who served.
Centennial lone pines are grown from seeds of the original Gallipoli tree where Australian soldiers fought in 1915.
Joondalup Mayor Daniel Kingston says the tree will stand as a powerful reminder of courage and sacrifice for future generations.
NSW: Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald says he does not support 14-storey developments in Kiama, calling them too high and out of character.
A developer has asked the NSW Government to declare an Akuna Street site a State Significant Development to permit a 14-storey building, while the council defends its planning controls in court.
Separately, the state government has declared council’s Shoalhaven Street Precinct rezoning project State Significant.
The mayor stresses no buildings have been approved yet, and images shown are illustrative only, with public consultation to follow through normal planning processes.
QLD: Gold Coast City Council has sparked outrage after ordering a homeowner to rip up her artificial front lawn following a single complaint.
The City says fake turf on nature strips poses safety hazards and can become trip hazards if not maintained.
Residents who fail to comply face on-the-spot fines of $834.
The council defends the ban, citing heat concerns and potential obstruction of underground infrastructure.
New verge guidelines are now being developed to clarify what’s acceptable on nature strips.
VIC: An Elsternwick apartment block has made history as Victoria’s first to install a shared solar battery system.
Twenty-six apartments have pooled resources to install rooftop solar and a 50-kilowatt-hour battery through Glen Eira Council‘s Solar Savers program.
The system will generate 54 megawatt hours of clean electricity annually, slashing emissions and power bills.
Residents could save up to five hundred dollars a year on energy costs.
The project sets a new benchmark for renewable energy in multi-dwelling buildings across the state.
NSW: The Office of Local Government is undertaking a statutory review of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021.
The regulation will be automatically repealed on 1 September 2026 unless remade before then.
OLG is proposing to split the regulation into three standalone regulations to make them easier to apply.
The first step will focus on transferring election provisions to a new standalone Local Government Elections Regulation.
OLG is seeking feedback from councils and stakeholders on the proposed regulatory framework outlined in the Regulatory Impact Statement. The closing date for submissions is close of business on Friday, 12th December 2025.
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