Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for our community? Is there a local group or individual who has made a real difference in Northern Grampians Shire this year? Now is the time to recognise them. Nominations are open for the 2026 Australia Day Awards, until December 5.
Find out more
At December's council meeting in St Arnaud, council resolved to review future community care service options in light of sweeping aged care sector reforms. The decision follows Federal Government changes to the way aged care services are funded and delivered, with new rules coming into effect in November. You can find more via the link below.
Published on 15 May 2025
Money saved from Northern Grampians Shire Council’s decision to cease issuing building permits will be important in making efficiencies leading up to the 2025/26 draft budget.
The organisation needs to make efficiencies ahead of the budget due to rate capping coupled with cost increases above the cap.
At the May council meeting, councillors voted to stop issuing building permits effective from July 1, 2025.
The decision is subject to the Minister for Planning granting an exemption, releasing the organisation’s Municipal Building Surveyor from their obligation to consider building permit applications in accordance with section 216A of the Building Act 1993.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said the decision followed a strategic review of the council’s building services, which was designed to align services with demand, optimise resource use, and ensure the organisation delivered value-for-money outcomes.
“We are in the process of developing the draft 2025-26 Annual Budget and must make decisions about how to best allocate the money we will receive from municipal rate charges. It's important that we look for efficiencies and cost savings wherever we can and this is one area where there are alternative service providers.” she said.
“The building services review showed the current model is no longer sustainable or aligned with the community demand.
“Historically, council has played a key role in timely permit administration and local inspection availability. However, recent trends show a decreasing reliance on council.”
A report to council showed:
Permit activity has declined significantly, with private surveyors now handling 70 per cent of the local building work, particularly higher-value, complex projects.
Council’s permit role is largely limited to small-scale structures, such as sheds, with reduced cost recovery and high service expectations.
Resourcing must shift to reflect reduced permit volumes, maintain compliance, and deliver value-for-money outcomes.
Cr Hyslop said the declining permit demand presented an opportunity to rationalise operations and reinvest savings.
“It is costing council more than $400,000 a year to issue building permits and the majority of people in our shire apply for permits through private surveyors,” she said.
“By making the decision to no longer issue the permits, it brings the costs down to about $150,000 a year – that is a significant amount of savings that can be put to better use as we consider our 2025-25 Annual Budget and 2025-29 Council Plan.”
Cr Hyslop said until the council received an exemption from the Minister for Planning, it was ‘business as usual’.
“We will also still complete any permit applications we have in transit, it just means we will avoid taking on any new ones,” she said.
“There are plenty of private surveyors who provide services locally, who will no longer be competing with us for business, so this decision benefits them as well.”