The community has urged Mildura Rural City Council to focus on what matters most, use what it already has more wisely and make disciplined financial decisions that keep our region strong for the long term.
Council says the voices of more than 250 residents, who took part in surveys, pop‑ups in Ouyen, Mildura and Merbein and a dedicated workshop, have helped shape the development of Council’s new Financial Sustainability Strategy.
The Strategy is a 10‑year roadmap that sets out how Council will responsibly manage its money, assets and resources so it can remain financially sustainable while still delivering on the community’s long‑term goals and aspirations.
Across all engagement activities, residents consistently called for Council to prioritise:
- Affordability, ensuring decisions don’t place unnecessary pressure on households
- Essential services, especially roads, waste, public safety and core community supports
- Innovation over outsourcing, with smarter, more efficient ways of working
- Better use of existing assets, including more multi‑use facilities and less duplication
- Clearer decision‑making, faster processes and stronger accountability
- Diversified income, reducing reliance on rates alone
- Long‑term sustainability, not short‑term fixes.
Council will now use this feedback to finish development of the Financial Sustainability Strategy.
