What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Gannawarra's direction is set by the Gannawarra Community Vision 2040 and the Gannawarra Shire 2025–2029 Council Plan, which also serves as the shire's Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. The council adopted the 2026/27 budget on 17 June 2026.
The Council Plan 2025–2029 has three strategic objectives: Liveability (enhance the wellbeing and liveability of the Gannawarra through creative infrastructure and services); Growth (grow the Gannawarra through a diverse and broad economy); and Sustainability (achieve long-term financial and environmental sustainability). Each year's actions are set in an annual Action Plan and reported in the Annual Report.
The 2026/27 budget includes a $16.4 million capital works program. Items listed in the budget include $2.0 million for township levee rehabilitation, $1.41 million for gravel re-sheeting, $1.1 million for sealed road rehabilitation, $1.06 million for bitumen resealing, $1.73 million for plant replacement, $300,000 each for stormwater and town pump renewal and for kerb replacement, and $290,000 for a footpath CBD connection. Carried forward from 2025/26: $3.0 million of waterfront projects, $1.85 million for the Safer Local Roads and Streets Program, $1.28 million for aquatic program development and $898,000 of water levee projects. The council is debt free and plans no borrowings. It is also advocating for more state and federal funding for rural roads.
- Gannawarra Shire Council — 2026/2027 Budget (PDF, §1.3 Strategic objectives, §4.5 Capital works program) · 2026–27
- Gannawarra Shire Council — Gannawarra Shire 2025-2029 Council Plan and Community Vision · Sep 2026
- Gannawarra Shire Council — Gannawarra calls for fairer rural roads funding (28 Sep 2026) · Sep 2026
Underway now
Cohuna road safety works (Safer Local Roads and Streets Program)
Tender awarded 16 Sep 2026; completion aimed for mid-December 2026A $1.078 million contract to Mawson Constructions for two Cohuna intersections: rebuilding the Cohuna Island Road / Tennis Road roundabout with raised pedestrian crossings near Apex Park, and a new roundabout with speed-reduction measures at Channel and Market streets. A roundabout for the Maxwell, Shadforth and Wyndham streets intersection in Kerang is also planned under the program. Funded by the Victorian Government.
Source: Gannawarra Shire Council — Cohuna road safety improvements to begin soon (17 Sep 2026)
Flood betterment works
Kenny Road floodway (Kerang East): construction to resume after the site dries out; Suttie Road floodway (Quambatook): expected to start early 2027Upgrades to flood-affected roads and floodways, funded with $1 million from the federal and state governments. The council says new culverts at Dingwall, Tragowel and Quambatook let roads reopen earlier after the August 2026 floods.
Source: Gannawarra Shire Council — Flood betterment works progressing across the Gannawarra (28 Sep 2026)
Rural Dwelling Excision for the Farming Zone Policy
Feedback to 5pm Friday 9 October 2026A proposed policy and assessment guidelines, replacing the 2011 Rural Excision Guidelines, for applications to excise existing dwellings from Farming Zone land. The final documents will go to a later council meeting for adoption.
Planned / committed
Township levee rehabilitation
$2.0 million in the 2026/27 budgetThe largest new item in the 2026/27 capital works program, funded with $1.5 million of grants and $0.5 million of council cash.
Source: Gannawarra Shire Council — 2026/2027 Budget (§4.5.2)