Corporate Division

The Corporate Division is responsible for ensuring the Council meets statutory reporting requirements. It reports to the following authorities:

• Audit Advisory Committee
• Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission
• Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate
• Local Government Victoria
• Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
• Victorian Ombudsman

This Division ensures all governance requirements are met in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020.

Asset and Infrastructure Services include:

• Asset Management
• Capital Projects
• Operations
• Parks and Gardens
• Waste

Asset Management

• Best practice Asset Management, in accordance with the MAV STEP Guidelines in order to provide levels of service in a cost effective way while ensuring sustainable long term use of resources.
• Maintenance of a register of Infrastructure Assets and condition reports.

Capital Projects

The Capital Projects department is responsible for the allocation of capital funds derived from Council sources and from grant funding provided by the State and Federal Governments.

Capital projects are identified in the five year and ten year Council Capital Plans and then a detailed scope of works, budgets and tender drawings are created to enable a tendering process or written quotation process through the Council procurement system.

The department also provides technical assistance to various departments within the Council and also provides Engineering advice and compliance supervision to subdivision construction and development.

Operations

• Delivery of maintenance services under the Road Management Act and the Council's Road Management Plan.
• Timely responses to community requests and enquiries about the road drainage and pathway network.
• Coordination of staff and resources to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

Parks and Gardens

• Parks, gardens and open space maintenance, including management of the Benalla Botanical Gardens.
• Urban and rural township street tree and streetscape maintenance.
• Management of Flood Mitigation Vegetation Clearance and the Electrical Line Clearance contract projects.

Waste

The department provides strategic and regulatory management of the Benalla Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre, the contract for kerbside waste collection services and waste minimisation projects. In these activities, we must comply with all EPA regulations.

Recreation Facilities Management

• Management of recreation reserves including built assets and sports surfaces, committee governance and grant funding.
• Participation in Committees of Management for Churchill Recreation Reserve, Showgrounds Recreation Reserve, Benalla Gardens Oval Reserve, Racecourse Reserve, United Friendlies Reserve, Benalla Indoor Recreation Centre and Goorambat Recreation Reserve.

The Community Department is responsible for:

• Community Development
• Family and Children's Services
• Youth Services

Community Development

Community Development at Benalla Rural City Council is committed to building community confidence, resilience and sense of belonging.

Major functions include:

• Community capacity and resilience building, with a special focus on rural communities
• Administering the Community Grants, Community Sponsorship and Youth Participation Grants
• Promoting key community activities such NAIDOC Week and Seeing the Future in Farming Forum
• Improving access and inclusion
• Youth development programs, initiatives and advocacy.

Family and Children’s Services

These services promote the health and wellbeing of families in Benalla Rural City, focusing on prevention and the early detection of physical, emotional and social factors affecting children and their families. We support families in times of need to ensure the family unit can continue to look after their members.

Programs include:

• Maternal Child Health
• Enhanced Maternal Child Health
• Family Services
• Family Liaison

The Development Department includes:

• Building and Planning
• Compliance
• Emergency Management
• Public Health

The Development Department provides a broad range of development services to residents and ratepayers as well as services to prospective new residents and developers. The Development Department is responsible for services such as town planning, land use studies, environmental health, building services, domestic animal management, school crossing safety, parking and enforcement of local and state legislation.

Building and Planning

The Development department is responsible for managing building and development applications and to provide information on planning legislation, planning policies and processes.

Compliance

Local laws are designed to provide peace, order and good governance to Benalla Rural City. They help to create a healthy environment in which the community can enjoy a quality of life that meets its expectations. Local laws ensure safe and equitable use and enjoyment of public spaces, the protection and enhancement of local amenities and the environment and fair and reasonable enjoyment of private land.

We ensure compliance with local laws and state legislation to protect the community and maintain public amenity. This includes: 

• Managing compliance regulations and local laws
• Domestic and livestock animal control
• Managing school crossings and supervisors
• Enforce parking and road regulations
• Tobacco control inspections. 

Read more about what kinds of activities require a permit in Benalla Rural City on our local law permits page. 

The Council has a statutory obligation to enforce specific legislation. Road Safety Road Rules 2017 is the Victorian legislation that the Council must enforce within Benalla Rural City, as part of the Road Safety Act 1996.

Read more about common road laws that Councils around Victoria need to enforce and information about how the infringement process works on our local law detail page.

Find out more about animal management in Benalla Rural City.

Emergency Management

Emergency Management plans for emergencies, liaising with many government and non-government organisations. The department supports other staff with statutory responsibilities for resourcing emergency works, recovery from incidents and fire management activities.

It conducts property inspections, fire prevention activities and compliance, meeting management including Municipal Fire Management, It involves planning for, responding to and recovering from emergencies such as fire, flood, tornado, major accidents and supporting safe events.

If you want to find out more about Benalla Rural City Council's emergency management practices, visit our Fire, Flood & Emergency page.

Public Health

The Economic Development and Sustainability Department's areas of responsibility include:

• Economic and Business Development
• Environmental Sustainability
• Tourism
• Events
• Communications
• Benalla Art Gallery
• Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre / Benalla Cinema

The Finance Department's areas of responsibility includes:

• Contracts and Procurement
• Finance
• Revenue, Property and Valuations

The Finance Department ensures the long term financial sustainability of Council through informed and transparent financial decision making. The main functions of the department include Financial Reporting and Planning, Revenue Property and Valuations, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Fleet management.

The Finance Department manages the Council's budgeting and financial processes. The Department is responsible for producing Annual Budget and Financial Statements and coordinating the Long-Term Financial Plan (10 year plan). 

Revenue, property and valuations are maintained by the Finance Department. Rates collection, as well as support for the Victorian Government Fire Service Property Levy, is administered within this Department. 

The procurement policy and strategic procurement plan, as well as the management of Council's purchasing processes via contracts and tenders is the responsibility of the Finance Department. It also manages our fleet services. 

The Finance team also manages spatial data, such as property numbering, land tenure and property boundaries in its provision of GIS services. 

The Facilities Department includes:

• Facilities Management
• Information Technology

Facilities Management

• Programmed maintenance and inspection of all Council facilities
• Management of the Benalla Aquatic Centre contact, the Benalla Airport and the Benalla Saleyards