A 10-year plan to manage and maintain more than $4 billion worth of community assets has been formally adopted by Whittlesea council.
Endorsed at the June 17 council meeting, the Asset Plan 2025-35 sets out key strategies to ensure critical infrastructure – including roads, footpaths, sporting fields and community buildings – continues to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly active population.
Accorind to council, the final plan was shaped through extensive community consultation, including feedback from three focus groups.
Eight guiding principles emerged from this process, emphasising safety, accessibility, sustainability, and a connection to First Peoples.
Whittlesea mayor Martin Taylor said the plan was about future-proofing the city for the challenges ahead.
“Council-managed assets are part of daily life for our community, from our youngest residents visiting a Maternal and Child Health nurse to families and dog walkers enjoying our 2,600 kilometres of local paths and shared trails,” Cr Taylor said.
“As our population grows, as more people take up walking and cycling, and as extreme weather events become more common, we need to ensure our assets are not only fit for purpose now, but ready for what’s to come.”
The plan also integrates with the council’s long-term financial and community plans, offering a roadmap for maintaining and renewing infrastructure in a cost-effective and environmentally conscious way.
Council manages over 1,400km of sealed roads, 2,600km of footpaths, nearly 2.1 million square metres of garden beds, and 190 buildings across the municipality.
Cr Taylor thanked residents who took part in shaping the plan.
“Your contributions have helped shape a strategy that reflects the real needs and expectations of our community.”
