By Renee Wood
The talk of de-amalgamation from the Yarra Ranges Council is stirring among outlining areas as the region continues to be connected to the metro ‘restricted’ way of life.
The Healesville Action Group has been in support of a ‘Healesville Shire’ to form for many years and said that it’s now back on locals minds as the pandemic exposes our rural nature.
Spokesperson John Anwin said he noticed the desire for a new shire growing on a petition earlier in the year for regional reclassification.
“As part of that change.org, the number of people who supported that the rural areas get reclassified for Covid, there was also a tremendous report that said we want to get away from Yarra Ranges all together on a permanent basis,” John Anwin said.
The Action Group believes there are more benefits than just regional relaxed Covid-19 restrictions that the region would see if it split into it’s own LGA.
Road management, infrastructure upgrades and laws for rural areas such as burn offs are just some of the issues the Action Group feels aren’t being addressed correctly.
“We’re not getting our bang for buck basically, we’re contributing a lot of money, and we’re not getting much back.
“All we can say is that there’s a lot of people that would dearly love for a split to happen.”
HAG Convener John Rosser worked for the Healesville Council before the amalgamation.
“When we were on the Healesville Council, Maroondah Highway was cleaned every morning about 5:30 in the morning, hosed up swept and cleaned – now people are slipping over leaves because of the trees,” John Rosser said.
“Things like that have not been done since the Ranges took over, it’s almost like this side of the Yarra – forget it.”
The group believes a smaller shire would see more revenue being spent in the area and a better understanding on what the local needs are.
“We have a different thinking, a different approach for how things are done,” Mr Anwin said.
The conversation of de-amalgamation for the Yarra Ranges’ outlining areas has been discussed for sometime.
It was brought up at the April 13 council meeting this year when an anonymous question was submitted regarding the Upper Yarra.
The resident asked if council would consider reinstating “the Upper Yarra Shire to make sure our community is not lumped in with suburban towns with totally different needs and usage of facilities?”
Director Corporate Services, Andrew Hilson, responded saying it’s a complex matter and falls to the Local Government Minister to consider.
“The Minister must first establish a restructuring advisory panel, who must then undertake a review and consider the following matters before recommending to the Minister that a new council should be created:
1. Whether each council affected by the creation of the new council and the new council will be viable and sustainable as separate entities.
2. Whether the allocation of revenue and expenditure between each council affected by the creation of the new council and the new council will be equitable for the municipal community of each council.
3. Whether the views of the municipal communities affected by the creation of the new council have been taken into consideration.
4. Whether the new council will have sufficient financial capacity to provide the municipal community with a comprehensive range of municipal services and to undertake necessary investment in infrastructure,” Andrew Hilson said.
It was also assured that Yarra Ranges Council wouldn’t support the creation of new councils.
“Council has no plans to advocate for the creation of a new council as the implications of this cannot be identified without first assessing the potential impact on relevant communities and then undertaking a detailed financial analysis to assess the viability and sustainability of any de-amalgamation proposal.
“This would be the role of a restructuring advisory panel. If the Minister determined that such a review was required, council would provide a considered response to the Panel.”
A Victorian Government spokesperson said, “It is the role of Yarra Ranges Shire Council to represent the community of Healesville.”
