Affordable and key worker housing initiatives, increased investment in road maintenance, drought relief funding, and active and public transport funding are among Surf Coast Shire Council's key advocacy priorities for 2026.
Council resolved at its November meeting to adopt an updated set of advocacy priorities aligning with strategic directions in the recently-adopted 2025-2029 Council Plan.
The list highlights opportunities and sharpens focus of Council's advocacy campaigning with Victorian and Australian Governments.
Priorities are grouped under Council Plan strategic directions:
- Assets and Infrastructure
- Climate and Environmental Leadership
- Community Wellbeing, and
- Sustainable Communities.
Mayor Libby Stapleton: "The Advocacy Priorities 2026 prospectus provides critical focus as we seek to work effectively with Victorian and Australian governments, and other councils, in supporting our community.
"It is important that the priorities align with the directions set out in our new four-year Council Plan.
"Successful advocacy helps us to shape our present and future with delivery of many key policies and projects which might otherwise be out of reach."
Affordable and key worker housing advocacy, under the Sustainable Communities direction, includes calling on the Victorian Government to trial a land tax exemption encouraging a specific number of Lorne properties to be made available for long-term rental by key workers for a minimum of 24 months.
The proposal aims to help ease Lorne's critical shortage of worker housing.
Council is also seeking funding for design of affordable housing for key workers on suitable public land.
Road funding advocacy, under Assets and Infrastructure, is driven by growing pressure on the shire's roads network, including roads managed by the shire and by the Victorian Government.
Growth in Surf Coast and neighbouring municipalities means roads designed for fewer and lighter vehicles are carrying more and heavier cars and trucks, and funding support is needed to help keep them maintained and safe.
Council recognises the direct impact of drought on primary producers, as well as the flow-on impact on the wider economy, with its advocacy call for disaster relief and concessional loans for affected farmers.
Other 2026 advocacy priorities include:
Assets and Infrastructure
- Funding for infrastructure supporting housing developments, and for timely provision of new sport and community facilities.
- Funding for a new roundabout at the intersection of Messmate Road and Briody Drive, Torquay.
Climate and Environmental Leadership
- Funding support for landfill rehabilitation.
- Disaster relief funding that enables damaged infrastructure to be built back better.
- Recycling and waste management based on circular economy principles.
Community Wellbeing
- Review of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund to identify and adopt a more equal system of funding emergency services, with less impost on primary producers.
- A shift from acknowledging Australia Day on 26 January to a long weekend at the end of January.
Sustainable Communities
- Increased coach services linking coastal towns to Geelong and Colac; more frequent train services to Winchelsea from Colac and Geelong to service its growing population.
- Funding and policy support that builds functioning active transport routes.
- Construction of a safe cycling corridor between Torquay and Geelong.
- Upgrading of Torquay Library.
- Sustainable Tourism along the Great Ocean Road.
Find the complete list of advocacy priorities via surfcoast.vic.gov.au/advocacy.
