Bass Coast Shire Council has set its strategic direction for the next 4 years through the adoption of its key documents: the refreshed Community Vision 2045, the Council Plan 2025-2029, and the Annual Action Plan 2025-2026.
Adopted at yesterday's Council Meeting, these plans set a clear direction for the years ahead and reflect the voices, values, and aspirations of our Bass Coast community.
Shaped by the community, the process has been one of the most comprehensive community engagement projects Bass Coast has ever undertaken, spanning more than 15 months and involving thousands of people who live, work, visit, or have a connection to the region.
A highlight of this year's review is a small but meaningful update to the Community Vision: the inclusion of "coastal woodlands" in the opening sentence of the Vision, celebrating the full breadth of Bass Coast's unique landscapes.
"From its flowing hills to its coastal woodlands and wild unspoiled coastlines, the Bass Coast is a source of celebration for all who live in and visit the region," reads the updated statement.
The Council Plan 2025-2029 is built around four strategic objectives:
- Naturally Beautiful - Together we build resilience and protect and enhance our natural environment.
- Thriving Places - Facilities and infrastructure meet current and future needs. Growth is sustainable and well planned. Our economy, agriculture, tourism and industries are resilient. Unique character is preserved.
- Vibrant Communities - Communities are healthy, inclusive, safe and socially connected. Communities celebrate opportunity, recreation, diversity, heritage and reconciliation.
- Visionary Leadership - Our communities flourish through leadership that is open and responsible, ensuring decisions serve the communities best interests and comply with legislative obligations.
These pillars guide everything from road upgrades and community facilities to climate resilience programs, arts projects, and support for local businesses. The Annual Action Plan 2025-2026 translates these pillars into action. Highlights for the first year include:
- Delivering the Wonthaggi closed landfill capping project and Clean Energy retrofits for community facilities.
- Continuing the Cowes Streetscape Project to support local businesses and improve town amenity.
- Implementing the Healthy, Safe and Resilient Bass Coast Plan, including programs for young people and public art initiatives.
- Preparing the partnership framework for the former Wonthaggi School site to support sustainable development.
Community voices have been at the heart of this process. Over the past 15 months, Council engaged people through 'Towards a Better Bass Coast'.
Engagement began in July 2024 with workshops, pop-ups, focus groups and surveys. A 45-member Community Panel, selected through a randomised process, then met across four workshops between November 2024 and May 2025 to deliberate on the challenges and provide recommendations. A final consultation period in August-September 2025 confirmed that the draft plans resonated with the community and led to refinements, including stronger support for agriculture.
It was also heartening to welcome members of the Community Panel to this week's Council Meeting to see the documents formally adopted, many months after their own work had concluded.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, said the plans would guide decision-making for years to come and acknowledged the community's vital role in shaping them.
"Community feedback shaped everything - from the recognition of coastal woodlands, to stronger support for agriculture, to the focus on local business and housing. These plans belong to the community as much as they do to Council.
As we look ahead, I encourage everyone to follow our progress, learn more about how Council works, and stay engaged in the strategies and projects still to come. This is only the beginning of the journey."
