Your wrap-up of Moonee Valley City Council meeting | Tuesday 28 April, 2026

Missed this month’s Moonee Valley City Council Meeting? 

Below is a summary of some of the items resolved. 

Remember: you can attend Council Meetings in-person or tune into the livestream via the MVCC website. The video recording remains available at the conclusion of the meeting, as do Agendas and Minutes from past meetings.  

Have your say on the Draft Budget and Draft Annual Plan  

Every year, we prepare a budget that sets out how to use our resources responsibly and impactfully.  

Council this month endorsed the Draft Budget 2026/27 for community consultation. You have until May 27 to provide your submissions, feedback and comments.  

Of course, a lot of community consultation has already occurred. Back in February we trialled a new approach to budget engagement, inviting community feedback earlier than ever through consultation on our Draft Four-Year Capital Works Program 2026/27-2029/30. These continue to be considered, and therefore submitters are advised not to resubmit their proposals made to Council in February 2026. 

We received more than 100 submissions and pieces of feedback and insights that have directly informed the development of this Draft Budget 2026/27 which we would now like the community to have your say on.  

Want to weigh in on works earmarked for the year ahead? You can do that now too, with the Draft Annual Plan 2026/27 also being greenlit for consultation at the April meeting.

Ageing Well in Moonee Valley 

Did you know that people aged 50 years and older make up about 35 per cent of the population of Moonee Valley – or that the demographic will grow to more than 50,000 people in the next 10 years?   

It is therefore important Council plan for, and respond to, the changing needs of older people and the people who support them. 

Enter the Draft Ageing Well in Moonee Valley Framework, which will guide Council when considering initiatives that affect our ageing population. 

The draft framework was endorsed for community consultation at the April meeting.  Consultation is now open and you can provide feedback on the draft document until 27 May.  

The draft framework has already been informed by significant community consultation, specifically a Community Advisory Panel that involved 40 Moonee Valley residents coming together for three days back in February to shortlist 13 priorities for inclusion in the Framework. 

Bakery bound for Queens Park  

It’s the news we know you’ve been waiting for! Queens Park Café has taken a big step towards reopening, with Council this month awarding a lease for operation of the site.  

The successful submission from Dale and Moors Market (which operates popular bakery chain, Cobb Lane) proposes a café selling goods baked on-site, sandwiches, cakes, coffee and other beverages.  

We look forward to sharing with you more information about the reopening when it becomes available.  

Advocacy agenda for Moonee Valley 

Council endorsed the Advocacy Strategy 2026–29, which outlines important projects for our city for which we will seek support from state and federal governments, as well as industry and the broader community.  

The strategy includes three categories, Infrastructure, Services, and Liveability. Our infrastructure asks are in response to Moonee Valley experiencing significant growth and increased urban density, driving greater demand for accessible and high-quality leisure and sporting facilities, and upgrades to road infrastructure. Our advocacy for services in our city aims to strengthen community wellbeing and support connection. Overall, our advocacy aims to strengthen liveability in our city, and to create a resilient and sustainable city for everyone, now and for years to come. 

The advocacy agenda was informed by extensive community consultation carried out during the development of Council’s community vision, MV2040 long-term strategy and Council Plan 2025-29, as well as responses to the 2025 community satisfaction survey. 

Extraordinary support for SES 

Moonee Valley is fortunate to have an amazing VICSES unit in Essendon that supports the community to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.  

Every year VICSES Essendon respond to more than 400 requests for help – everything from car crashes to storm damage and search-and-rescue missions. 

Sadly, their site was the target of a break-in and robbery in February, which saw their headquarters damaged and critical equipment taken.  

Moonee Valley is stepping in to support our local heroes with a $45,000 extraordinary grant. The funds with help VICSES Essendon to upgrade on-site security and deliver critical emergency response and community service activities as we appreciate the important role they perform in keeping our community safe. 

Tree contract inked 

With more than 100,000 trees on Council-owned land, Moonee Valley has a big urban forest to maintain.  

To deliver a safe and efficient street tree maintenance program, Council this month signed a two-year deal with a panel of providers, with an estimated contract value of $3.3 million.