Council Matters | Michelle Grainger, July 31
Published on 31 July 2026
It’s been just over 20 years since I last worked at Northern Grampians Shire Council and I am pleased to have the opportunity to once again work with the diverse communities of this shire.
In my first few weeks back, I have enjoyed a warm welcome from family, friends, councillors and colleagues. While some things are familiar, I have also noted some significant changes.
After leaving Stawell, I continued to work in local government, gaining valuable experience and broadening my knowledge.
Most recently, I was based at Swan Hill, where I worked for Swan Hill Rural City Council.
Swan Hill and Northern Grampians municipalities shares some similar characteristics, advantages and challenges, such as agriculture being the main economic driver; a strong need for skilled labour – which is increasingly being met by the support of a mobile and diverse workforce; working to secure our fair share of government grants; and navigating the transition to renewable energy.
In my role at Swan Hill, I had oversight of the Pioneer Settlement and Visitor Information Centre, which gave me an insight into the importance of ensuring a heritage settlement was agile enough to grow its market share and provide a range of experiences such as laser night shows, river cruises and joint events with libraries and performing arts to continue to attract locals and visitors.
Wind farms and the transition to renewable energy were significant challenges during my 12 years working with Moyne Shire Council, where over time the trust of council and the community was tested by the scale of development and the differing approaches by developers.
Moyne Shire hosts some of the state’s earliest wind farms at Yambuk and Codrington, which will pave the way as being the first in Victoria to be decommissioned.
Five wind farms were constructed, creating two distinct clusters. The council strongly advocated for an assessment of cumulative impacts, with a particular focus on ensuring local roads and bridges were fit for purpose.
Similar challenges are now front and centre for Northern Grampians Shire.
I am pleased to have worked collaboratively with Northern Grampians Shire Council on two regional projects while working at Swan Hill, the Resource Ready Strategy (renewables and mining) and Shared Building Services.
I see the strength in this collaborative approach to regional issues, and I will continue to advocate and provide for our communities.
I am keen to work across the shire with the many varied services in the Community Prosperity directorate, including libraries, recreation, childcare, community projects, strategic planning, economic development and tourism.
I am enjoying living back in Stawell and am keen to reacquaint myself with all the municipality has to offer.