Victorian councils

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City of Port Phillip Mayor Alex Makin (left) and City of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly at Melbourne Town Hall.

State can’t wish away the financial problems of local councils

There are no easy fixes here, but the government should at least be willing to canvas solutions.

  • The Age's View

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City of Port Phillip Mayor Alex Makin and City of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly pose outside Melbourne Town Hall.

Mega merger not the answer to funding shortfall, councils say

A proposal to amalgamate rate-capped councils has been met with derision and hostility, with some warning it could hark back to the ugliness of the Kennett-era mergers.

  • Adam Carey
Glen Huntly, part of Glen Eira City Council.

Council moves to sell aged care home, double rate hike to avoid $57m budget black hole

The Melbourne municipality revealed plans on Wednesday to transfer ownership of the last council-run aged care facility in the state after a secret vote.

  • Lachlan Abbott
Councils were blindsided with a $6000 annual fee to use the records system, plus a $2 charge for every jab administered.

Funding cut put Victoria’s vaccine database at risk

Pulled funding, new fees and a council revolt: internal documents reveal how Victoria’s childhood vaccination database was at risk of collapse.

  • Rachel Eddie
Australians think their local councils do better than state or federal governments - but also think they should be the first to go.

Australians love their councils – but still want to get rid of them

We rely on them for roads and rubbish collection – and a new poll shows people think councils are our best level of government.

  • Shane Wright
Leroy Fletcher has spent $300,000 on Christmas decorations to bring joy to the Berwick community.

The generous sandwich shop owner who has spread priceless joy to his suburb

Fed up with a lack of “decent” Christmas decorations in his shopping strip, Leroy Fletcher and his business partners splashed out $300,000 for some festive cheer.

  • Rachael Ward
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Local Government Minister Nick Staikos.

This is how much your council rates will go up next year

The state government says the rate cap helps ease cost-of-living pressure, but councils say they won’t be able to fund essential services.

  • Lachlan Abbott
Merri-bek Greens councillor Adam Pulford.

Rainbow connection a bridge too far for warring councillors

Conduct breaches that led to the controversial sanction included not pausing for long enough during a debate, and the use of the word “duplicitousness”.

  • Gemma Grant
City of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly.

Yarra mayor charged with unlawful assault

Stephen Jolly is facing a single charge of assault over a November 2024 incident and is planning to plead not guilty.

  • Rachael Dexter
Anna Gilmore, pictured at home with her two children, is concerned about the stripped state funding for sleep programs.

This program has been a ‘lifeline’ for new parents. It’s now been quietly axed

A popular sleep program helps exhausted parents seeking support at local maternal and child health services, but its state funding was cut with just six weeks notice.

  • Sophie Aubrey