As we mark National Reconciliation Week, I am reflecting on how government decisions shape people’s lives across generations, for better or worse. It is a time to recognise our shared history though Treaty, honour truth telling, and recommit to fairness, respect and care in the choices we make and create a better and fairer future together.

That matters at the local level too. Council budgets are not just spreadsheets. They are statements about what we value, what risks we are prepared to face, and what future we are willing to invest in. I encourage you to give feedback on our draft budget by making a submission, by speaking at our public hearing, or by attending a community lead event.

I was pleased to drop in at the National Volunteer Week High Tea and the Creswick Civic Honour Roll Dinner at Doug Lindsay Reserve in Creswick and help celebrate the many volunteers who strengthen our towns through their time, skills and care. Their contribution is invaluable. But volunteer effort should add to strong public services, not be expected to make up for what is missing.

Across regional Victoria, councils are being asked to help deliver housing, climate adaptation, transport improvements and community infrastructure. These are priorities shared by state and federal governments. Yet too often, councils are expected to deliver them without the long term funding, policy backing or legislative settings needed to do so well. The result is a local government sector often pushed back into a narrowed, reactive role, focused on roads, rates and rubbish when communities need much more from us.

The recently released Creswick Flood Mitigation Report, the Australian Local Government Association’s response to the 2026–27 Federal Budget and the Municipal Association of Victoria’s response to the State Budget all point to the same issue. Expectations on councils are growing, but the resources to meet them are not keeping pace and that key infrastructure across Victoria is increasingly vulnerable to climate impacts.