Latrobe City Council will take on the maintenance of five rural recreation reserves as part of a new program aimed at improving the presentation of public spaces and easing pressure on local volunteers.
The initiative follows Council's decision during the 2025/26 Budget process to allocate an additional $250,000 towards maintenance of public areas, with a focus on delivering more consistent service levels across both rural and urban communities.
Following extensive consultation with user groups, five reserves have opted into the program. This includes Baillie Reserve, Tyers, George Bates Reserve, Yallourn North, Yallourn North Recreation Reserve, Glengarry Recreation Reserve and Toongabbie Recreation Reserve.
Council will also assign $77,750 to establish a pressure washing program for central business districts with this to be initiated prior to the end of May. An additional $124,156 has been allocated to continue the program in 2026/27.
Latrobe City Council Mayor, Councillor Sharon Gibson said the change is about supporting volunteers while making sure community spaces are kept to a high standard.
"We know our local volunteers do an incredible job, but a lot of these maintenance tasks are pretty heavy going and time consuming," said the Mayor.
"This is about removing some of that pressure and freeing up time so volunteers can focus on the parts they really enjoy."
The transition will see Council take responsibility for core maintenance tasks, supported by a mix of existing allocations and the additional budget funding. The program also includes initial clean-ups at participating sites to bring them up to standard before ongoing maintenance begins.
Council will continue working with remaining committees who have chosen to maintain their current arrangements, with the option to join the program in future.
