VLGA Connect

This week on VLGA Connect Chris Eddy speaks with Hume City Council Mayor Cr Carly Moore about the cost to the community of illegal dumping and how council is tackling the issue. Tony Raunic from Hunt and Hunt Lawyers is also back this week with the key takeaways from a couple of recent conduct rulings. He also discusses the major legal challenge by Bayside City Council in response to the new Victo...

This week on VLGA Connect Chris Eddy speaks with the Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor, Cr Irene Grant, about council's push to improve the condition of rural and regional roads. Cr Grant shares what the latest safety data is telling us, which roads are of most concern to local residents and what funding commitments regional councils need now.  We also catch up with the Acting CEO of Infrastruct...

This week on VLGA Connect Chris Eddy speaks with Loddon Shire Mayor, Cr Dan Straub about his council's advocacy priorities ahead of the state election. Cr Straub shares his thoughts on the Murray Darling Basin Plan review process and the impact of water buybacks on his community. We also cross to Canberra where the annual National General Assembly has been underway this week. We get some insi...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy interviews Golden Plains Mayor Owen Sharkey to discuss how his municipality is dealing with growing pains and gearing up to make sure its voice is heard in the run down to this year’s state election. We also meet  Mansfield Shire Council CEO, Kirsten Alexander who has just been reappointed for a further four years. And finally we chat to Tony Raunic and get hi...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy interviews Frankston City Council CEO Tennille Bradley on her first 6 months in the role, council's priorities and taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise awareness of homelessness and advocate for change in the community.  Tony Raunic from Hunt & Hunt Lawyers returns to break down the decision from the Victorian Supreme Court which has ruled...

This week on VLGA Connect, Cr Lawrie Cox, Mayor of Whittlesea City Council chats with Chris Eddy about the council’s stand on road conditions in the region and its call for the state government to step up and do more to manage its assets. Cr Jodie Ashworth, the mayor of East Gippsland Shire Council, joins to talk about her leadership journey, and current issues and challenges happening for council...

This week on VLGA Connect, host Chris Eddy speaks with the mayor of Glen Eira City Council, Cr Simone Zmood, about the council’s successful application for a rate cap variation, the reasons behind the request and how they consulted with the community. To celebrate the launch of the 2026 Mary Rogers Awards for women in local government, Chris talks to last year’s inaugural winner Cr Kylie Spears fr...

This week, Mayor of Latrobe City Council, Cr Sharon Gibson joins Chris Eddy to discuss the unique challenge facing the Gippsland region due to the impacts of the closure of the power station and how the region is advocating for support to adapt.  Tony Raunic from Hunt & Hunt Lawyers returns to give his thoughts on how councils can manage the issue of homelessness, looking at amendments made by...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy is joined by two mayors to break down both sides of the glass bin debate. Mayor of Merri-bek City Council, an early adoptor of the four-bin system, Cr Nat Abboud and Mayor of Manningham City Council, part of the coalition of councils lobbying the state government for an alternative before the 2027 deadline, Cr Jim Grivas, discuss the pros and cons of the schem...

With the release of the state budget this week, Chris Eddy speaks to Mayor Stefan Koomen from the City of Casey to hear the views of the Outer Melbourne Councils on the pros and cons from the budget for this rapidly growing area. Mayor of Mildura Rural City Council, Cr Ali Cupper discusses what is happening in the north west of the state, and gives a frank assessment of how the budget has fallen s...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy chats with Evan King, CEO of the City of Ballarat to talk about how the ongoing fuel crisis is having a financial impact on council as well as the implications of a recent ruling on contracts from the Fair Work Commission. Also this week, Tony Raunic from Hunt & Hunt Lawyers returns to give his take on recent developments in the sector. Sponsored by Hunt &...

With a state election just around the corner, Regional Cities Victoria has made a $3B pitch as part of its advocacy campaign to secure the future of regional Victoria. Chair of RCV and Mayor of Warrnambool City Council Ben Blain joins Chris Eddy to explain more about the campaign and where they think the funding is most required. Victoria’s Auditor General Andrew Greaves also drops by to discuss t...

This week on VLGA Connect, James Collins, CEO from Cardinia Shire Council reflects on his first six months in the role and talks with Chris Eddy about how things are travelling in a rapidly changing municipality with some big interface and growth-related challenges. Tony Raunic from Hunt & Hunt Lawyers returns to review some significant recent legal decisions with implications for councils inc...

This week on VLGA Connect, mayor of Kingston City Council, Georgina Oxley joins Chris Eddy to talk about why Kingston is expanding its presence in aged care service delivery while many other councils are going in the other direction. The mayor of Gannawarra Shire Council, Garner Smith discusses a number of current issues impacting his area, including the fuel crisis, renewable energy projects, and...

This week on VLGA Connect, host Chris Eddy is joined by Hayden Raysmith, Liana Thompson and Dr Josh Fergeus to reflect on 30 years since the return of elected representatives following the council amalgamations that led to the creation of the VLGA, and an eye to the future. Chris also discusses the latest campaign from Brimbank City Council with mayor Virginia Tachos as more than one hundred local...

Join us for a special episode of VLGA Connect this week as we unpack the results of the latest VLGA Victorian Councillor Census.  Chris Eddy is joined by VLGA President Dr Josh Fergeus; John Armitage from Qdos Research, and Dawn Bray from the VLGA for a panel discussion about what the results are telling us, and how this latest data will be used by the VLGA and government to inform policy and rela...

Discussing a report tabled to Parliament this week, Victorian Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath returns to chat to Chris Eddy and unpack the outsourcing by councils of "under-excess" small claims. Hunt & Hunt Lawyers Managing Principal Tony Raunic gives his thoughts on some high profile mayoral issues making news this week, as well as the progress of new bills that will bring some signific...

This week on VLGA Connect, Murrundindi Shire Council Mayor Damien Gallagher gives an update on the recovery efforts following the January bushfires which affected a large area of the region. Northern Grampians Shire Council CEO Brent McAlister speaks about a new initiative which is bringing together Wimmera and Mallee councils to ensure the region is ready for significant investment in regional pr...

Join us at the RACV City Club for FastTrack 2026: Incivility - A threat to local democracy for this special episode of VLGA Connect.  Hear from panellists Dr Josh Fergeus, Virginia Haussegger, Anne Wickham, Steve Huff and Liz Gillies about their contributions to this important discussion, as well as attendees about why these conversations are so critical to their role as elected leaders.  FastTrac...

This week on VLGA Connect, Marlo Baragwanath, the Victorian Ombudsman, sits down with Chris Eddy to discuss a joint paper, prepared with the IBAC Commissioner and the Auditor-General, titled 'Advancing budget transparency for Victoria’s core integrity agencies’.  Mayor of Swan Hill, Cr Stuart King, also joins the program to talk about the Murray Basin Plan review, and why it’s such a critical...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy is joined by Warren Davies, the Unbreakable Farmer. Warren is a farmer, a writer and keynote speaker, and a podcaster, shining a light on capacity building, resilience and recovery in the face of increasing natural disasters and setbacks, especially in the rural Australian context.  Cr Steve Rabie, Mayor of Mansfield discusses issues affecting his community -...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy interviews the Victorian Information Commissioner, Sean Morrison, about the risks and pitfalls of using generative AI from a privacy principles perspective - a relevant conversation for every councillor in particular. Also, Tony Raunic returns to unpack new ministerial guidelines in place for Councils in Victoria to deal with ratepayers experiencing hardship ....

VLGA Connect is back for 2026!  VLGA President Dr Josh Fergeus and CEO Kathryn Arndt join host Chris Eddy to give a sneak peek into the VLGA’s premier leadership conference - FastTrack - focusing on the topic of Incivility. The mayor of Mount Alexander Shire Council, Cr Toby Heydon, drops by to explain why he’s dancing up a storm on social media! Also returning for 2026 is Hunt & Hunt Lawyers...

For the final episode of the year, Tony Raunic, Managing Principal of Hunt & Hunt Lawyers and VLGA CEO Kathryn Arndt join Chris Eddy to wrap up what has been an action packed first year of the council term. The team looks at the major issues and events of 2025 and look forward to what we may expect to see in the sector in 2026. Completing our Meet the Board series, Chris chats to VLGA Treasure...

This week on VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy speaks to Kerryn Ellis and Dan Nicholson from the Victorian Ombudsman about a recently released report into flood risk decisions relating to two housing estates, with broader implications for councils. The VLGA's Meet the Board series continues with independent member Louise Hill joins the program for a discussion about how she contributes to the board, a...