Room for improvement with South Gippy planning decision timeframes
WHILE the number of planning application decisions in South Gippsland Shire decided within the required timeframes is comfortably exceeding council’s current target, there is plenty of room for improvement with the figure sitting at 58 per cent.
That is revealed in council’s latest Organisational Performance Report covering the period from July 1 to December 31, 2025, which notes the target figure for timely planning decisions is 42 per cent.
The latest planning decision figures are nearly identical to those outlined in the Organisational Performance Report presented to council in March last year and detailing the period from July to December 2024.
For that period, 56 per cent of planning decisions were made within the required timeframes, with the target having been set at 42 per cent for the 2024/25 financial year.
Interestingly, that target rose from just 32 per cent in the 2023/24 financial year but did not increase again after being comfortably exceeded.
A council spokesperson explained to the Sentinel-Times how the target is determined.
“Council sets its target based on available resourcing, the projected number of applications, and what is considered at the time the budget is developed,” she said.
It is noted that while council surpassed its target last year and is on track to do so this year, in earlier years the target was not as readily exceeded.
“For that reason, the current target is considered realistic and appropriately set,” the spokesperson said.
The Organisational Performance Report provides an update on how council is tracking against its Annual Budget and the progress of the Annual Actions outlined in the 2025-2029 Council Plan.
Council states that all 30 Annual Actions for 2025/26 are on track to be completed by the end of this financial year as planned.
As the Korumburra Senior Citizens Centre dispute continues and council argues it cannot maintain such a substantial building portfolio, the Organisational Performance Report notes a review of that building portfolio is now three quarters of the way to completion.
That review is to assess the financial sustainability and community benefit of the various buildings council owns.
On a positive note, council continues to support a wide range of community organisations and volunteers.
The Organisational Performance Report states that in addition to the recently announced Round 1 Community Grant recipients that shared ,719 worth of funding, five applicants to council’s Small Grants Program were successful, as were four applicants for the Emergency Grants Program.
Round 2 of the Community Grants Program is now open.
Council continues to advance in development of its Youth Strategy and to deliver the Live4Life program providing Teen Mental Health First Aid Training to local school students and Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for adults.
