Council has been considering its role in relation to the management of, and investment in, Crown land since early 2022.

Crown land is held by the Crown (the King or Queen) in right of the State of Victoria. Crown land can be reserved for a particular public use, or unreserved. Reserved public use may include recreational, cultural, forestry, conservation and delivery of government services.

Council has been appointed as the Committee of Management and is responsible for managing approximately 126 hectares of Crown land reserves within the municipality.

This includes recreation and open space reserves, coastal reserves, bushland reserves and civic and community facilities.

Historically, Council has often funded or supported the delivery of assets or services on land that is owned and managed by the State government, with varying benefit to the community. These arrangements have often been ad-hoc or inconsistent and have taken place over the course of decades.

Council is now being more frequently asked to take on the responsibility of managing Crown land or financially supporting the delivery of assets and services on Crown land.

Council does not receive any financial support for the management Crown land or derive any financial benefit from investing in assets on crown land where it’s not the land manager.

There are benefits in Council managing Crown land. It can provide greater ability to deliver integrated community planning, higher levels of presentation and amenity, preservation and enhancement of the natural environment and can also provide a more streamlined approach to the delivery of services and community facilities. However, Council is operating in a more financially constrained environment, while simultaneously needing to meet the demands of population growth, higher community expectations, the impact of more frequent and intense weather events, and a more complex legislative environment as well as increased responsibility from the State government. The challenge facing Council is how to best utilise its limited resources to deliver the assets, services and level of amenity the community needs.

Council has developed the draft Crown Land Policy to articulate:

• Council’s role in managing Crown land
• Principles for Council’s management of Crown land
• Council’s investment in Crown land where it’s not the land manager
• Support for other non-government Crown land managers within Bass Coast
• Council’s expectations of the State
• Transition arrangements

Consultation is now closed.