Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting - Monday, 27 April 2026


DIRECTOR Corporate – Tony Rocca
Attendance Report	Item 1

Purpose

To provide an opportunity for Councillors to report on Council activities undertaken since the last Ordinary Meeting of Council and forthcoming ward activities.

Strategic / policy issues

The following directions contained in Maroondah 2050 - Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2025-2029 provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report.

Outcome area: A well governed and empowered community.

Our Community’s aspiration: Council continues to be a transparent, accountable, and future-focused leader that collaborates locally and regionally and actively champions local needs. Everyone in Maroondah is informed about matters that affect them and are provided with opportunities to meaningfully engage regarding Council decision making.

Key directions 2025 – 2029:

5.1 Ensure transparent and accountable governance, including balanced and sustainable decision making that is evidence informed and is in the best interests of the community.

Background

Not applicable

Issue / discussion

It is intended that the Mayor and Councillors be given the opportunity to present a verbal or written report updating Council on the activities they have undertaken since the last Ordinary Meeting of Council on 16 March 2026 in their role as Councillors and forthcoming ward activities.

Financial / economic issues

Not applicable

Environmental / amenity issues

Not applicable

Social / community issues

Not applicable

Community consultation

Not applicable

Conclusion

It is appropriate that Councillors formally report to Council upon the activities they have undertaken in their role as Councillors.

Attachments

Not applicable

CONFIDENTIALITY

Not applicable

RECOMMENDATION

That COUNCIL RECEIVES AND NOTES THE REPORTS AS PRESENTED BY COUNCILLORS


DIRECTOR Corporate – Tony Rocca
Reports of Councillor Briefings	Item 2

Purpose

To present the ‘Public Record’ of Councillor Briefings which are attended by Councillors and generally held on Monday evenings at Realm, usually two weeks prior to the formal Council Meeting, and to note the issues discussed.

Strategic / policy issues

The following directions contained in Maroondah 2050 - Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2025-2029 provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report.

Outcome area: A well governed and empowered community.

Key directions 2025 – 2029:

5.1 Ensure transparent and accountable governance, including balanced and sustainable decision making that is evidence informed and is in the best interests of the community.

Background

As part of decision-making processes at Maroondah, it is essential that Councillors are briefed on a range of issues which come before Council for consideration. As a means of providing this information, Councillor Briefings are conducted.

Councillor Briefings are also attended by Council Officers, and sometimes other specific advisors, to provide Councillors with a detailed knowledge and understanding of issues under consideration to a level of detail that would inhibit timely decision-making, that would not be possible in an open Council meeting, where decision-making related debate is governed by strict meeting procedures.

A Councillor Briefing is a non-decision-making forum, and as per past good governance practice, is deemed to be a scheduled or planned meeting comprising a majority of Councillors (at least 5) and one (1) Council employee, for the purpose of discussing matters that are intended or likely to be:

· the subject of a decision of the Council; or

· subject to the exercise of a delegated function, duty or power of Council.

Examples of a Councillor Briefings may include:

· On-site inspections,

· Consultative Meetings with residents, developers, consultants

· Meetings with local organisations, Government Departments, statutory authorities, and local politicians.

Issue / discussion

Councillor Briefings are generally held twice a month, on Monday evenings at Realm, usually two (2) weeks prior to, and on the night of a formal Council meeting.

The intent of this report is to present a ‘Public Record’ of those Councillor Briefings which are generally attended by all Councillors and typically held on Monday evenings, and to note the items discussed. The ‘Public Record’ of the Councillor Briefings held on 16 March 2026, 27-29 March 2026 and 13 April 2026 are attached for information.

Financial / economic issues

Not applicable

Environmental / amenity issues

Not applicable

Social / community issues

Not applicable

Community consultation

Not applicable

Conclusion

Councillor Briefings are important forums for advice and discussion, on what are often complex issues facing the municipality, in the lead up to formal decisions being made by Councillors at Council Meetings. At Councillor Briefings, or outside them, Councillors also have the opportunity of requesting additional information to assist in the decision-making process. It is appropriate that the ‘Public Record’ of those Councillor Briefings, which are attended by a majority of Councillors, i.e., at least five (5) Councillors and one (1) employee of Council, be noted.

Attachments

1.	2026 March 16 - Councillor Briefing Public Record
2.	2026 March 27 - Councillor Briefing Public Record
3.	2026 April 13 - Councillor Briefing Public Record

CONFIDENTIALITY

Not applicable

RECOMMENDATION

That COUNCIL RECEIVES AND NOTES THE PUBLIC RECORD OF THE COUNCILLOR BRIEFINGS HELD ON 16 MARCH 2026, 27-29 MARCH 2026 AND 13 APRIL 2026


DIRECTOR Corporate – Tony Rocca
Councillor Representation Reports	Item 3

Purpose

To receive and note meeting minutes from the following organisations, boards and/or advisory committees where Council is represented:

· Maroondah Business Advisory Committee held on 26 February 2026

· Maroondah Arts Advisory Committee held on 4 March 2026

· Maroondah Liveability, Safety and Amenity Advisory Committee held on 18 March 2026

Strategic / policy issues

The following directions contained in Maroondah 2050 - Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2025-2029 provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report.

Outcome area: A well governed and empowered community.

Key directions 2025 – 2029:

5.1 Ensure transparent and accountable governance, including balanced and sustainable decision making that is evidence informed and is in the best interests of the community.

Background

As part of Council's commitment to the principles and practice of good governance, it is appropriate that Councillors and the Community are formally updated on the actions and activities of the various organisations, boards and advisory committees where Council is represented.

Issue / discussion

Council is represented on numerous internal and external bodies.

Internal advisory committees have been initiated by Council and are serviced administratively. They typically consider in-depth issues that are related to Council policy or activities.

External bodies operate under their own charter and determine their own procedures, policies and practices. In these instances, Council involvement is to participate and influence the activities of those external organisations, boards and committees where those activities are in the interests of Maroondah residents.

Representation on these internal and external bodies is reviewed on an annual basis at the commencement of the new Mayoral term.

Council representatives for the bodies providing reports for this item are noted below:

Crs Jones, Spears and Steane are Council’s Representatives on the Maroondah Business Advisory Committee.

Crs Henderson, Macdonald and Spears are Council’s Representatives on the Maroondah Arts Advisory Committee.

Crs Heatherich, Rex and Steane are Council’s Representatives on the Maroondah Liveability, Safety and Amenity Committee.

Financial / economic issues

Not applicable

Environmental / amenity issues

Not applicable

Social / community issues

Not applicable

Community consultation

Not applicable

Conclusion

It is appropriate that Councillors and the community are formally updated on the actions and activities of the various organisations, boards and advisory committees where Council is represented. Recent meeting minutes from a number of these bodies are tabled for noting.

Attachments

1.	2026 February 26 - Maroondah Business Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
2.	2026 March 04 - Maroondah Arts Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
3.	2026 March 18 - Maroondah Liveability Safety and Amenity Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes

CONFIDENTIALITY

Not Applicable

RECOMMENDATION

That COUNCIL RECEIVES AND NOTES MINUTES OF the following bodies

1. MAROONDAH BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD ON 26 FEBRUARY 2026

2. MAROONDAH ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD ON 4 MARCH 2026

3. MAROONDAH LIVEABILITY, SAFETY AND AMENITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD ON 18 MARCH 2026


Director City Growth & Precincts – Andrew Fuaux
Adoption of the Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030	Item 1

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of the Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030.

Strategic / policy issues

The following directions contained in Maroondah 2050 - Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2025-2029 provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report.

Outcome area: A vibrant and prosperous community.

Our Community’s aspiration:

Maroondah is a vibrant and prosperous destination. Creative precincts, placemaking, and experiences make Maroondah a culturally rich place to live, work, play and visit. Our strategic location and competitive strengths facilitate economic development, and local businesses are supported to be successful and sustainable.

Key directions 2025 - 2029:

To work towards a vibrant Maroondah, we will

4.1 Facilitate vibrant places and spaces through placemaking initiatives and events, including public art and arts activations.

4.2 Enhance cultural precincts and venues as vibrant places where the community can connect, learn and create.

4.3 Facilitate and program a diverse range of arts and cultural initiatives and experiences through engagement with the local creative sector.

Priority action 2025 - 2026:

· Develop and implement Council’s Creative Maroondah Strategy.

· Construct the staged redevelopment of Karralyka (subject to funding).

Background

Council acknowledges the transformative role that creative services and spaces play in building a vibrant, connected, resilient and inclusive community. Evidence indicates that participation in arts and cultural activity contributes measurably to community health and wellbeing, including outcomes associated with social inclusion, learning, physical and mental health, perceptions of safety, economic development and community resilience.

On a local level, consultation on the Maroondah Council Plan and Maroondah 2050 Vision indicated strong local support and a high value placed on Arts and Culture by the Maroondah Community. Maroondah Arts and Libraries were scored highly within the top three services in the 2024 Local Government Community Satisfaction survey, reinforcing the value of creative services.

Residents reported high levels of participation and engagement in creative activities and spaces with high records of attendance, with data indicating a growing local creative economy and a thriving arts community.

At a statewide level, participation in creative and artistic pursuits is consistently high, with 97% of Victorians aged 15 years and over engaging regularly in creative activity. Further, 84% recognise the significant positive contribution of arts and creativity to wellbeing and happiness, child development, cultural awareness, community identity, lifelong learning and employment. These findings also highlight that barriers to participation remain, underscoring the importance of accessibility and inclusive design across programs and facilities.

Creative Places is a core service stream that leads services, programs and spaces across Arts and Culture, Karralyka Theatre and Function Centre, Wyreena Community Arts Centre, Maroondah Federation Estate, Community Halls and K-Cafes. To ensure Council’s services are responsive to community interests and needs, and reflect an accessible, strategic and innovative service model, a strategic framework for service delivery is paramount. The Creative Maroondah Strategy delivers this framework and supports pathways for creative participation, expression and development across our diverse community.

Issue / discussion

The Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026–2030 provides a framework for the delivery of priority areas for creative services in partnership with the Maroondah community over the next four years and replaces the current Arts and Cultural Development Strategy (2020-2025).

With a vision of “A vibrant, creative and connected community” shaped by extensive community consultation and informed by industry data and trends, the strategy recognises creativity as a powerful driver of community wellbeing, economic growth, and social connection, and is structured around measurable deliverables across the following six key outcome areas:

· Creative Community: Empower and engage our diverse community through creative expression, collective projects and opportunities for arts participation.

· Creative Places: Activate and enhance public spaces and cultural venues to reflect Maroondah’s unique identity, improve accessibility and foster a sense of belonging, pride and cultural identity.

· Creative Programs: Innovative, high-quality arts and cultural programs that inspire participation, social connection and lifelong learning within our diverse community.

· Creative Partnerships: Strengthen collaboration with artists, organisations, businesses, and the broader community to grow Maroondah’s creative sector.

· Creative Industry: Nurture a sustainable and thriving creative economy and cultural tourism in Maroondah by supporting opportunities with creative businesses, artists and industry led initiatives.

· Creative Communications: Creative services, venues and initiatives are highly visible, accessible and engaging for our diverse community, and we seek feedback often to help guide continuous service improvements.

The strategy principles recognise that creativity comes in many art forms from visual and fine arts to performing arts, music and theatre, public art, literature, digital and new media, and that creative opportunities should be easy for everyone to access and take part in, irrespective of age, ability, background, or income. By working in partnership, celebrating diversity, and encouraging new and innovative ideas, the arts can strengthen community connection, cultural awareness, inspire lifelong learning, improve wellbeing, enliven public spaces, build local identity, improve safety, support jobs, grow the local economy and enhance cultural tourism.

The Creative Maroondah Strategy provides a clear plan of action alongside a timeline and key measures and will be delivered in partnerships with our diverse community, industry and key stakeholders to collectively realise the vision of a creative, connected and vibrant community, whilst contributing directly to the achievement of the Maroondah Council Plan and Community Vision 2050.

Financial / economic issues

The Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 is designed to be delivered within budget alongside the long-term financial forecasts for the service area. Where facility master plans require additional funding, this will be supported through seeking financial support through external grants and advocacy campaigns with State and Federal government.

Environmental / amenity issues

The Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 reflects a variety of environmental partnership initiatives that support sustainability outcomes, with measures in place to work towards greener civic infrastructure and practices where viable.

Social / community issues

The Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 delivers on key outcomes established within the Liveability, Wellbeing and Resilience Strategy to collectively work across Council to utilise the arts as a means for delivering measurable social, health and wellbeing outcomes including inclusion, participation, lifelong learning, accessibility and targeted programs that provide pathways for those with identified barriers for participation in community life.

Community consultation

The development of the Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026–2030 was shaped by extensive community and industry consultation, with a total of 5,191 responses received, resulting in significant data and ideas that directly shaped the strategy priorities and actions.

A summary of consultation activities that helped build the strategy themes, outcome areas and priority actions included:

· Your Say Community Consultation Round 1: A survey was placed on the Your Say consultation portal seeking input into strategy themes and priorities, and garnered 167 responses from residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

· Targeted Stakeholders: Engagement with key internal Council services, local artists, creative businesses, cultural organisations, and educators provided sector-specific insights, representing around 180 contributions.

· Café Consult: Interactive sessions at the Council Cafe at Maroondah Festival enabled us to connect with families, young people, and culturally diverse receiving a total of 4,680 responses from around 1,306 people.

· Council Advisory Committees: Feedback was sought through workshops with five of Maroondah’s Advisory Committees, including the Arts, Disability, Environment, Liveability, Safety and Amenity, Community Health and Wellbeing Advisory Committees; plus, the Youth Wellbeing Advocates Group and the Reconciliation Partnership Group, representing around 120 contributions.

· Your Say Community Consultation Round 2: The draft strategy was placed on public exhibition via the Your Say engagement portal seeking feedback on the priority actions and identify any gaps in deliverables. Feedback included 44 survey responses, along with input from the Maroondah Arts Advisory Committee, Maroondah Aboriginal Partnership Group, and Maroondah Youth Wellbeing Advocates network. Feedback from Round 2 consultation was very positive and well aligned with the strategy directions, prompting minor update to the final strategy. A consultation summary report is provided in the attachments for Council consideration.

Conclusion

The Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 will inform the delivery of Council’s creative service priorities across six key outcome areas encompassing creative community, places, programs, partnerships, industry and communications, with measurable actions developed for the forthcoming four-year period, delivered in partnership with our diverse community.

The strategy was developed through extensive consultation with the Maroondah community, industry and key stakeholders with over 5,000 contributions received via surveys, workshops and targeted engagement initiatives, which helped build the strategy themes, outcomes and priority actions.

It is recommended that the Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 be adopted.

Attachments

1.	Round 2 Consultation Summary - Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030
2.	Creative Maroondah Strategy 2026-2030 - Final for Adoption

CONFIDENTIALITY

Not applicable

RECOMMENDATION

That council adopt the creative maroondah strategy 2026-2030.


Director City Growth & Precincts – Andrew Fuaux
Adoption of the Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031	Item 2

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of the Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031.

Strategic / policy issues

The following directions contained in Maroondah 2050 - Our Future Together and the Council Plan 2025-2029 provide the strategic framework that underpins the purpose of this report.

Outcome area: A safe and liveable community, and a green and sustainable community

Our Community’s aspiration:

Everyone in Maroondah feels physically and emotionally safe. Local neighbourhoods and activity centres are easy to move around. There are the housing options, amenities and services people need to live, work, learn and play locally. The unique attributes of Maroondah, and our local history and heritage, are valued and promoted.

Maroondah’s green, leafy natural environment and landscape continues to be preserved and enhanced, with biodiversity and habitat corridors progressively restored and maintained. Our community is supported to make sustainable choices and is actively working to reduce emissions and waste, as well as adapt to climate change.

Key directions 2025 - 2029:

1.5 Provide programs, services and initiatives that protect, improve and promote public health.

1.9 Partner with the First Peoples of Maroondah, the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung People of the Kulin Nation, to acknowledge, celebrate and engage with their heritage, culture and communities.

2.4 Advocate to preserve and enhance the valued and unique attributes of Maroondah’s neighbourhoods and activity centres, including the green, leafy natural environment, neighbourhood character and local history and heritage.

3.1 Create and foster a culture within our community that is committed to protecting and enhancing the unique features of Maroondah’s landscape and natural environment.

3.2 Preserve and enhance Maroondah’s parks, reserves, gardens, bushlands, street and canopy trees, vegetation, indigenous plants, creek corridors, wetlands, and waterways.

3.5 Provide regional and sector leadership in environmental sustainability.

3.6 Partner to mitigate and adapt to the effects and impacts of climate change on community health and wellbeing, and the natural and built environments.

3.7 Partner to educate, encourage and incentivise the community to make more sustainable choices, reduce waste, and reuse, recycle and recover resources.

5.1 Ensure transparent and accountable governance, including balanced and sustainable decision making that is evidence informed and is in the best interests of the community.

5.2 Prioritise responsible, sustainable and timely management of Maroondah’s financial resources, assets, infrastructure and the natural environment.

5.4 Embed a culture of being collaborative, strategic and sustainable, implementing best practice principles, to further position Maroondah City Council as a leader in local government.

Priority action 2025 - 2026:

Implement Council's Sustainability Strategy 2022-2031, including the development of a Climate Change Plan.

Background

Climate change poses a significant risk to Council operations and services, along with the wider Maroondah community. It is causing hotter and drier weather, more intense storms and flooding, and more severe bushfires and periods of drought. The flow on effects will impact more than just our environment. It will disrupt healthcare and supply chains, make responding to extreme weather and emergencies more difficult, and place pressure on global financial markets.

Council has a legislated responsibility to address climate change under the Local Government Act 2020 (Vic), the Climate Action Act 2017 (Vic), the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic), Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic), and the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) - General Environment Duty.

Maroondah City Council has been taking steps to address climate change for decades, with Council’s first emissions reduction target set in 2001. Since 2011/12, Council has achieved a greater than 65% emissions reduction from Council operations. This has been achieved through projects including improving the energy efficiency of Council buildings and street lighting, installing solar photovoltaic systems on Council facilities, and purchasing renewable electricity through the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO).

While climate change poses a significant threat to Maroondah, taking action to address it also provides an opportunity to improve Council’s resilience, reducing ongoing operational costs, and improving energy resilience.

Issue / discussion

The Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031 is an outcome of the Sustainability Strategy 2022-2031 and replaces the Carbon Neutral Strategy and the Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy.

The Climate Adaptation Plan presents the following vision for a climate resilient Maroondah:

Maroondah is a strong and climate resilient community, with declining greenhouse gas emissions for both Council operations and across our community.

The Climate Adaptation Plan has been developed following an organisation-wide climate change risk assessment and review of emissions reduction opportunities, as well as extensive community consultation.

The Climate Adaptation Plan outlines Council's commitment to:

1. Climate change mitigation: reducing Council’s greenhouse gas emissions

2. Climate change adaptation: preparing for the impacts of climate change on Council operations and services

3. Embedding climate change in Council processes and decision-making

4. Meeting Council's legislative obligations to address climate change

5. Supporting the Maroondah community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change

The Climate Adaptation Plan includes the following emissions reduction target:

Council will reduce operational scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of 2021/22 levels by 2035.

This target will be achieved through two flagship actions:

· The electrification of at least one aquatic centre by 2035

· The electrification of at least 50% of Council’s passenger fleet by 2030

Financial / economic issues

Climate change poses a significant financial risk to Council and the Maroondah community. Impacts from local extreme weather events, such as storms or flash flooding, are expected to damage Council assets and disrupt Council services. More widespread regional, national or global extreme weather will also impact supply chains, the energy market and its associated availability and cost, and insurance, increasing both operational and capital costs to maintain Council assets and services.

The Climate Adaptation Plan includes actions to improve Council’s resilience to the financial and operational impacts of climate change, whilst also embedding climate risk in Council decision making and business-as-usual activities.

Environmental / amenity issues

Climate change is one of the most complex environmental challenges facing the world today. Changes to Maroondah’s climate are having a direct impact on local biodiversity and our much-loved green, leafy suburbs. The Climate Adaptation Plan explicitly details Council’s response to prepare for and address climate change across both Council operations and the wider Maroondah community.

The Plan recognises that while some level of climate change are locked in, there is still an opportunity to reduce the extent of the impacts through mitigation actions to reduce Council’s operational emissions and support the Maroondah community to do the same. The Plan also presents a path for Council assets and services, as well as the Maroondah community, to prepare for and adapt to the predicted impacts of climate change.

By implementing the actions included in the Climate Adaptation Plan, Council will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Social / community issues

The challenges posed to Council by climate change also extend to the Maroondah community.

The Climate Adaptation Plan includes a range of actions to support our community through the impacts of climate change. These include:

· Building climate resilience into existing community services provided by Council

· Identifying opportunities to reduce community exposure to climate hazards such as the increased frequency of extreme heat

· Supporting the community, including residents, businesses, schools and community organisations, to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through education and knowledge sharing

· Embedding the Wurundjeri-Woi-wurung principles of caring for Country within knowledge building and sharing

Community consultation

The Draft Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031 was released as the Draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2031 for community consultation in November to December 2025. Almost 700 community members participated in the consultation across Council’s Your Say page, Café Consult at Maroondah Festival, pop ups at Council’s libraries, and consultation with Wurundjeri elders.

68% of Your Say respondents supported or strongly supported the three outcome areas of the Climate Change Plan, with 24% opposing or strongly opposing the outcome areas.

Outcomes of the consultation are detailed in the Draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2031 Engagement Report.

In response to this consultation the following changes were made to the Plan:

· Development of an executive summary

· Embedding care for Country

· Simplification and explanation of technical concepts

· Updated community focused climate actions

Following the consultation, the name of the Plan has been updated to the Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031.

Conclusion

The Climate Adaptation Plan has been developed to guide Maroondah’s response to climate change, addressing emissions reduction and climate adaptation and risk management, whilst also supporting the Maroondah community to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

Consultation was undertaken in November and December 2025 with many people providing valuable feedback. Changes were made to the plan to reflect this consultation.

It is recommended that the Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031 be adopted.

Attachments

1.	Draft Climate Adaptation Plan 2026-2031 - Final - April 2026
2.	Draft Climate Change Plan Engagement Report - March 2026

CONFIDENTIALITY

Not applicable

RECOMMENDATION

That COUNCIL ADOPTS THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN 2026-2031.