Council
6 August, 2026
Terang remains a priority, council says
CORANGAMITE Shire Council will be working through multiple avenues to bring financial benefits to Terang despite the town missing out on being included in State Election advocacy.
Council has sought to assure residents after the Terang Express reported Terang had not been included among the list of advocacy priorities adopted at the June Ordinary Meeting of Council, and had not been included in at least the past decade.
In response to the reporting, Corangamite Shire Council mayor councillor Kate Makin said the election priorities were strategically tuned for the election period.
“When every council around the state is seeking funding commitments, you’re not likely to get any big-ticket promises,” she said.
“The three priority projects are almost ready to go.
“They just need comparatively small, achievable amounts to get underway.
“The planning and energy policy reform we are seeking to protect productive farmland will also benefit the businesses that supply the agricultural sector – Ridley Stockfeeds, Brandt tractor and equipment sales and service, Tankworld, Scanlons and Ag Warehouse to name a few.
“The word of those businesses, the people they employ, and money spent in their town are all interconnected with farms.”
Cr Makin said councillors, chief executive officer and directors were regularly in contact with politicians and senior state and federal government departments.
“There is a wide range of state and federal government grants programs, each targeted at a different area of council operations – roads and bridges, sport and recreation, kindergartens and more,” she said.
“Council officers have to put together a detailed business case for each grant application.
“There can be lot of to-and-fro negotiating the funding amount and calculating council contributions through the Budget process.
“We have to be strategic.”
Cr Makin said an example of the strategy behind funding allocations was within the 2016-2017 expenditure of $50,000 for the Terang Harness Racing Club’s community hub project.
The modest allocation became seed funding which helped to attract $250,000 in federal government funding in 2019 and $730,000 in state government funding in 2021.
“The hub opened in 2024 which shows council is in for the long game,” Cr Makin said.
Among other past wins, Cr Makin cited the Terang Children’s Centre which in 2015 received $14,000 in support from the kindergarten committee, $1.15 million from Corangamite Shire Council and $776,000 from the state government.
“Council was very active in negotiating the $12 million from the state government in 2020-2021 and $1.187 million in 2023 to unite Terang College and Hampden P-12 junior students into modernised facilities at the Terang College senior campus on Strong Street,” she said.
“Through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, council attracted federal funding for the cricket oval drainage, stadium roof replacement and changeroom upgrade, new Escort Street toilets, Bowls Club green replacement, the Strong Street school crossing and Dow Street sealing and traffic calming.
“That’s on top of council’s ongoing investment in roads, footpaths, kerb and channel and projects like the Little Acorn upgrade and the Civic Hall floor replacement.
“In the last two years we constructed road infrastructure off Thomson Street Service Road to enable the unlocking of housing on the northern side of town.
“This was undertaken with a funding contribution from Regional Development Victoria.”
Cr Makin said council was also working on a Planning Scheme Amendment to include the Terang Structure Plan in the Corangamite Planning Scheme.
“That will be a really powerful tool to attract government and private funding to increase much needed housing and infrastructure, while protecting the heritage buildings and landscape that give the town its unique character,” she said.
“There is a lot going on in the background.
“Residents can rest assured council is going in to bat for them every day.”
In 2026-2027 council will also look to upgrade the intersections of Cobden Terang Road with Strong Street and Cemetery Road, with funding sourced from the Transport Accident Commission.
In addition, council has budgeted in this financial year for Terang Stadium upgrades, access improvements to the Civic Hall, a footpath connection from Grey Street to Swanston Street on Estcourt Street, rehabilitation of part of Estcourt Street, sealing Burkes Road and finishing the widening of Noogee Road.
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