Annual Report shares how Council supports community vision

Published on 29 October 2025

Cover of the Annual report 24-25 with an artist talking to some guests at her easel

From roads, sports facility and arts centre upgrades to drought support, sustainable urban growth guidelines and the new Winchelsea Pool – Surf Coast Shire Council has shared its wide-ranging achievements in the 2024-25 Annual Report.

Noted at the October Council meeting, the Annual Report has highlighted how Council continues to work towards fulfilling the community vision of leaving the Surf Coast better than we found it.

The report also outlines the performance of the organisation, which maintained a financially sustainable position in 2024-25.

Mayor Mike Bodsworth said the community was at the core of everything Council does.

“Council provides more than 100 services to the local community and maintains more than $1 billion worth of community assets to support both the growing local population and the 2.5 million people who visit the area annually,” he said.

“An annual report is a great opportunity to reflect on all that we’ve achieved over a 12-month period, headlined by the various ways that Council and community combine to make the Surf Coast a special place to live and visit.

“It’s pleasing that we’ve successfully delivered services and projects laid out in our previous budget. Personally, I’ve loved seeing the new Winchelsea Pool open for some summer fun, the lease approval for the Aireys Inlet Affordable Housing Project, and celebrating our grant recipients across the shire who make such a positive difference in their community.”

Other Council achievements in 2024-25 included:

  • Support for drought-impacted communities including advocacy against the Victorian
  • Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund levy, and freezing rates at 2024-25 levels for farm land.
  • Adoption of the Urban Futures Strategy, a significant step in the aim of achieving
  • sustainable growth.
  • Reconstruction of netball courts at Anglesea’s Ellimatta Reserve, Lorne’s Stribling Reserve and Winchelsea’s Eastern Reserve.
  • Supporting Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to deliver another moving Pilk Purriyn truth telling event on 26 January.
  • Implementation of a new Circular Economy Action Plan.
  • The Multi Arts Centre refurbishment project in Torquay.
  • Progress on Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre (with funding support from the federal and state governments) and Banyul-Warri Fields Hockey Pitch (funded by the state government). Construction continues on both projects in north Torquay.

“It’s also important to acknowledge the essential services our community expects such as road, path and open space maintenance, early years and family child health programs, and helping residents prepare and stay safe during increasingly high-risk bushfire seasons,” Mayor Bodsworth said.

Council’s future cash fund reserve balance is $12.3 million, which will offset future budgeted deficits as Council invests more into renewing its assets to help meet the needs of a growing community.

The 2024-25 Annual Report aligned with the final year of the Council Plan 2021-25.

“We now focus on the goals and priorities in our recently adopted Council Plan 2025-29, all of which were shaped by valuable community input,” Mayor Bodsworth said.

Access the 2024-25 Annual Report

 

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