Our submission to Local Government The Summer 2026 fires hit our communities hard. Our members – farmers, CFA volunteers and rural residents – lived through them, fought them, and are still dealing with the aftermath. We’ve put all of that into a formal submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the 2026 Summer Fires. It covers what went wrong, what needs to change, and what our people on the ground actually experienced.
Our submission to Local Government Victoria’s consultation on a new Model Councillor Code of Conduct and mandatory training for councillors.
Our submission focussed on the clause under the Local Government Act 2020, that exempts conflicts of interest held ‘in common’ by a substantial proportion of residents, undermining the representation of community interests.
The Mitchell Council motion to endorse the Landscape Study was voted in favour 4-3, with the only farmer on the council excluded from voting because his property (along with 400+ others) is proposed to be impacted and notwithstanding the “in common” provision in the legislation.
Protect Our Farms Incorporated strongly opposes the proposed SLOs, highlighting conflicts with farming zones, inadequate consultation, misleading council information, and the severe impact on farmers’ livelihoods.
