At the July 2025 Council Meeting, Ararat Rural City Council adopted its Annual Plan 2025/2026, which details actions designed to further the objectives of its latest Council Plan.
The Council Plan 2025-2029 was adopted at the May 2025 Council Meeting and outlines Council's key strategic directions and objectives over the next four years.
Council produces an Annual Plan each financial year, which sets out a series of actions aimed at operationalising Council's strategic intent. The Annual Plan 2025/2026 is the first one developed in the current planning cycle and the first for this Council's term.
The Annual Plan 2025/2026 details specific actions aimed at achieving each objective. These objectives all align with the six strategic directions from the Council Plan 2025-2029: Growing our place, Building robust local economies, Preserving the environment, Developing and maintaining key enabling infrastructure, Enhancing community life, and Strong and effective governance.
Community feedback on the Council Plan 2025-2029 was collected via Engage Ararat, email, mail, and in-person sessions held across the municipality. These sessions gave community groups, residents, and businesses a chance to speak with Councillors and share their feedback.
The Council Plan 2025-2029 was adopted after extensive community engagement, aligning with the Council's community engagement policy. A significant portion of the Annual Plan 2025/2026's actions will involve further community engagement on strategy and service delivery.
The Council Plan 2025-2029 is available to view and download on Council's website: www.ararat.vic.gov.au/council-documents.
"Council continually strives for high standards in service delivery," said Ararat Rural City Council Mayor, Cr Jo Armstrong.
"By setting actionable targets in our Annual Plan that directly relate to our Council Plan, we're ensuring that we're providing both accountability and transparency to everyone in our community."
