Policies & strategies

The Local Government Act 1989 enables Councils to levy rates and charges to provide improved infrastructure for their local communities.

Yarra Ranges Council’s workplace Gender Equity Program is coordinated by Council’s Gender Equity Business Partners, located in the Organisational Development Unit of the People and Culture Department.

This program focuses on creating an organisational culture that understands and demonstrates gender equity in behaviours and day-to-day work; education, awareness raising and building organisational capacity; and meeting Council’s obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

View the policies and processes used by Council to ensure electrical safety. See below for the 2025-26 document.

The Local Government Act 2020 introduced strategic planning principles for Victorian councils which include an integrated approach to planning, monitoring and performance reporting.

Yarra Ranges Council is producing this Workforce Plan to examine the current state of our organisation and to detail any planned changes so that we can project what our organisation may look like in the next four years.

The Workforce Plan will be an evolving document and will be updated periodically to reflect the current and projected states of the Yarra Ranges Workforce.

The Nature Plan was endorsed at the Council meeting in December 2023.

 

The Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority

The Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority was established with the proclamation, in April 1977, of the Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority Act 1976 (the Act). The authority was responsible for the region comprising the former shires of Healesville, Lilydale, Sherbrooke and Upper Yarra. With the local government restructure in December 1994, the Regional Strategy Plan is now within the municipal area of the Yarra Ranges Shire Council.

The object of the Act was ‘to enable increased protection for the special features and character of the region’. The Act also required that the authority prepare Regional Strategy Plan to implement, among other things, state planning policies for the region.

The authority was wound up in 1995 under the Planning Authorities Repeal Act 1994. Since the disbandment of the authority, the Regional Strategy Plan has been the responsibility of the Minister for Planning.

The Act requires that any amendment to a planning scheme within the area of a Regional Strategy Plan must be consistent with the Regional Strategy Plan.

View The Upper Yarra and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan 122

 

We value our customers and are known for delivering great customer experiences.

Yarra Ranges Council is transforming the way we think, work and deliver. Through our Flexible Future Transformation Strategy we are working towards creating a high performing organisation that collaborates and innovates to deliver exceptional customer focused services.

This Customer Experience Strategy plays a significant role in our ability to meet this aspiration, through guiding our efforts to improve our customers’ experiences with Council. 

What is Customer Experience?

Customer Experience (CX) is the sum of all the interactions that a customer has with Council and the customer’s feelings, emotions, and perceptions of Council over the course of those interactions. 

Our goals

1. We understand our customers, their needs and what they value
2. Customer experience is central in the design of our services and processes
3. We make it easier for customers to connect with us, access services and complete their business
4. Our people value customers, are empathetic and responsive, and accountable for delivering positive customer experience
5. We measure customer experience and use data, feedback and insights to continually improve our services

Priority projects 

• Website Redevelopment 
  Redeveloping the website to ensure it is customer centric, user friendly and accessible, allowing our customers to easily find information and access Council services.

• SMS Updates
  Implementing SMS messages to update customers on a range of council services

• Customer Process Project
  Re-designing the organisation’s customer request processes to improve customer experience and satisfaction. The project will see the creation a standardised and more efficient approach to the management of the many customer request types and increase accountability, measurement and performance of customer request processes.

How will we keep this up to date?

We will regularly review the progress and outcomes of this strategy to assess how we are tracking. 

It is a living document and will be adjusted to ensure is remains contemporary and achieves our vision.

 

Yarra Ranges Council has developed the Integrated Water Management Plan to set the strategic direction for the sustainable management of water resources for Council operations over the next 5 years.

The Middle Years Strategic Action Plan sets priorities for Council, such as responding to service gaps and environmental issues that impact children aged 8-14 years.

This document guides Yarra Ranges Council in managing parking. It outlines principles for fair and transparent management of parking on public land. This approach benefits residents, businesses, tourists, and visitors. It also aims to enhance safety, improve towns, and boost the economy while balancing parking needs.