General News
12 March, 2026
Report warns of pressures
COUNCILS across Northern and Western Victoria have been using council meetings to endorse a report which calls for proper investment and due diligence from the state and federal governments to ensure communities are prepared for major energy, transmission and mining projects.
The Wimmera, Southern Mallee Council Alliance (WSMCA) is part of a group of nine councils that commissioned the 99-page document, Resource Ready: North-Western Victoria Energy & Mining Impact and Readiness Strategy, to fully understand the nature and scale of economic impacts the region could soon experience.
Following its release last month, Hindmarsh mayor Cr Ron Ismay said it was an important step as the document gave a clear focus for the councils involved.
“This report gives us the evidence we need to advocate for action from government that will genuinely benefit the community,” he said.
“Our region deserves support to manage growth and protect what makes our towns unique.”
At the March 4 Hindmarsh council meeting, the Strategy was endorsed unanimously following a short discussion covering the challenges of being prepared for future changes that such projects would bring.
The area covered in the report accounts for 26 per cent of Victoria, so the impacts of proposed projects cross multiple council boundaries, making a coordinated, joint advocacy approach both practical and necessary.
The identified potential opportunities include thousands of construction and ongoing jobs, as well as potential challenges such as further compounding the housing crisis, pressure on council-owned assets including roads, limited investment in key services like health, education and childcare, and impacts on farming.
The Strategy proposed 44 evidence-based actions across eight priority themes, including community readiness, infrastructure development, housing solutions, workforce planning, and agricultural sector protection.
These have been mapped to responsible departments within the State Government.
Hindmarsh chief executive, Monica Revell, said in the meeting that despite “no proposed mining in Hindmarsh ... what we will see is indirect impacts”
“We know that trucks will be using our roads, and that there will be a requirement for housing,” she said.
“The location from one of the mine sites is the same distance to Dimboola as it is to Horsham, so not everyone wants to live in Horsham.
“It's important that ... we are out there advocating for our fair share, and that we make sure that we see upgraded roads, we see opportunities to expand our housing, there'll be skill development jobs, which will bring extra people into our community as well.”
She said Hindmarsh, along with the other councils, would be seeking State and Federal Government funding to realise the increased needs in a “staged approach” as successful implementation required substantial external funding and regional coordination beyond their existing resources.
The motion also made it clear Hindmarsh's endorsement of the Strategy “would not constitute support for or opposition to any specific project.
Rather, endorsement reflects Council's commitment to fulfilling its statutory obligations under the Local Government Act 2020 to plan strategically for the community's economic, social, and environmental sustainability.”
Additionally noted: “Approval decisions for transmission, renewable energy, or mining projects are made at higher government levels, not by Council.”