General News
23 July, 2026
Councils want water fund table seat
NORTHERN Victorian councils are pleading with the State Government to pause and rethink its Basin Sustainable Communities Fund.
NORTHERN Victorian councils are pleading with the State Government to pause and rethink its Basin Sustainable Communities Fund.
The councils, including Loddon Shire, want a “genuine partnership to get the investment right”.
The fund was established by the Federal Government to help communities adjust to the social and economic impacts of water buy backs under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Murray River Group of Councils chairman Stuart King said on Tuesday that local government “stands ready to work alongside the Victorian Government, to deliver the best possible outcomes for the region from this once-in-a-generation investment”.
“This funding is too important to get wrong. Every one of our communities has been affected differently by water recovery.
“Each has its own industries, strengths and opportunities. That is why we need to co- design individual responses. We have been asking for a seat at the table to strengthen project design and delivery since the Victorian Government agreed to accept the funding last year.”
The group wants the State Government to suspend the current funding negotiations and establish a collaborative planning process with local government to develop a tailored implementation plan for each Basin municipality. “We want to improve the fund,” he said.
Read More: Loddon Shire