There was a distinct case of déjà vu at Mansfield Shire Council’s Ordinary Meeting for July. It featured all the usual procedures — the roll call and apologies, councillors' statements of commitment, declarations of conflicts of interest, routine planning matters, and the latest in a long line of defensive manoeuvres the current council has had to take to mitigate the impacts of state government policy. With council’s opposition to the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund already on record and now simmering in the background, attention turned to the Allan Labor Government's latest effort to streamline planning approvals. Cr Bonnie Clark began by questioning how much consultation the state government had undertaken with local councils on the matter. Melissa Crane, Acting CEO in Kirsten Alexander’s absence, noted that while some councils had been engaged on specific amendments, broader consultation with local governments had been very limited. When Cr Tim Berenyi asked whether Mansfield Shire would be able to maintain the town’s character under the proposed reforms, Ms Crane was critical of their implications. “The way the planning reform has been progressing over the last two years has reduced our ability to keep local controls to maintain the values that are specific to Mansfield,” she said. “It is having the same impact on other rural municipalities. “It is a metropolitan one-size-fits-all approach to planning.” Cr Berenyi warned that the changes — which would effectively cut council out of decisions on proposed medium-density dwellings of up to three storeys if deemed compliant with state regulations — could mean that while Mansfield may gain more houses, they may not be the kind the community wants. Council closed the agenda item by calling on the Victorian Government to ensure that the review of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 accounts for the needs of rural Victoria and preserves local government’s ability to: Keep it country – ensuring councils can continue to manage and protect local vision, values and character. Keep it local – ensuring councils remain the determining authorities on planning decisions. Keep it transparent – ensuring communities can access information and respond to proposals. Keep it fair – ensuring community participation in the planning process. Keep it simple – ensuring the system remains accessible without undue cost or complexity. Cr Clark urged residents to stay informed. “I just want to reiterate to the community that these proposed changes will affect our shire,” she said. "The reform program has already resulted in significant changes to the planning system and it will result in more changes that are likely to have a significant impact on our ability to manage and protect the things that are valued by the Mansfield community.” Cr Berenyi, speaking as someone hoping to enter the Mansfield property market, said the changes would make it harder to resist undesirable developments while doing little to address housing affordability. Elsewhere in the meeting, council responded to a question from a Goughs Bay resident concerned about the consultation process for a new toddlers' playground. The resident said the majority had not been listened to regarding the proposed location. Council replied that the Goughs Bay community had been given opportunities to provide feedback through a survey, a public meeting, and a subsequent site walk, which many attended. The final site, they confirmed, had majority community support. Finally, councillors welcomed the results of the 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey, where Council’s overall performance score of 62 remains significantly higher than the State-wide (54) and Small Rural group (53) averages. However, they acknowledged the results were skewed towards older residents, with few 18–34 year olds participating — a trend they attributed to younger people ignoring unfamiliar phone numbers. “Pick up your phone, young people,” Cr Mandy Treasure said.
