Greater Shepparton City Council 2024-2025 Annual Report now available

The document reports against the final year of the 2021-2025 Council Plan and provides an account of Council’s financial management during the past 12 months. It also outlines the major announcements and activities which shaped the municipality during this time, along with providing a snapshot of Council’s achievements.

The document reflects on a year marked with positive change, financial stability and strategic progress, while reflecting on the overall four years of the Council Plan. The results, underpinned in the Performance Statements, highlight Council’s goal to deliver on the strategic commitments within the Council Plan, with delivery of almost all the ambitious targets in this final year.

The Annual Report outlines some of the major moments from the past 12 months, including the delivery of a $44.71 million capital works program. This included major upgrades to several facilities across the municipality, including the Tatura Park Western Oval lighting, Shepparton BMX Multi Use Events Pavilion, Tatura Skate Park, and Wanganui Oval lighting and irrigation, along with more than $1.2 million for footpath renewals and over $285,000 for playground shade sails.

More than $6.35 million was spent on an extensive Road Resealing Program, covering close to 50km of roads in 19 locations across Greater Shepparton, while several important road upgrades were undertaken to improve safety, drainage and traffic flow in key areas, including the Poplar Avenue and Orrvale Road intersection upgrade.

Council hosted many major sporting events over the past 12 months, including the AusCycling BMX Racing National Series, Bowls Victoria Novice State Carnival, Softball Victoria Masters Championships, and the AFS Shepparton Cup. The year also saw a jam-packed creative and cultural events schedule including the Shepparton Festival, Converge on the Goulburn, Melbourne to MOVE Rally, Spring Car Nationals, GT Nationals, and several major exhibitions at the Shepparton Art Museum.

These events brought thousands of visitors to our region, injected a significant economic boost into the economy, supported many accommodation and hospitality providers, and confirmed our reputation for hosting world-class events. Other points of interest throughout the year included:

371 new citizens confirmed in seven citizenship ceremonies
6,796 Maternal and Child Health consultations
$451,681 disbursed through Council’s Community Grants Program
600 tonnes of glass collected from purple bins within Greater Shepparton
771,000 nappies collected through the Nappy Collection Service, diverting 125 tonnes of waste from landfill
1,400 indigenous plants planted by 192 community members at the National Tree Day event
1,290 cats and 740 dogs adopted from the Shepparton Animal Shelter

Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said the past year had been one of transition for Council, with the new Council group seeking to build strong relationships within the community, set a solid foundation and deliver on key responsibilities.

“Our Council is centred around its commitment to maintaining a thriving region for the community now and into the future, and the work undertaken throughout the year helped us set a solid strategic and financial direction,” he said.

“Our commitment to sound financial management supported a wide range of initiatives within the community, including investing in our existing assets to ensure our facilities remain fit for purposes and are well equipped to support the growing needs of the region.”

“The achievements over the past 12 months are a testament to the passion of our community, dedication of our Council team, and the vision of our Council,” Cr Sali said.

“Looking ahead, we remain focused on positioning Greater Shepparton as an agricultural powerhouse, a host for national events, and a region that advocates strongly for what is right for our community.

“I encourage the community to have a read of the 2024-2025 Annual Report to find out more about the achievements from the past year. Council’s services and facilities are extensive, and the Annual Report provides a great snapshot of these and the positive work being achieved throughout the year alongside our community.”