Have your say on the Surf Coast Draft Budget 2026-27 Biodiversity Strategy
Hello, legends,
There is now an important opportunity to influence what happens next on the Surf Coast.
Surf Coast Shire Council has released its Draft Budget for 2026 to 2027. It includes $30,000 to create a Biodiversity Strategy.
This connects directly to what this petition is calling for.
A strong, well scoped strategy could help protect existing habitat, guide development decisions and address the cumulative loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat. But if it is too limited in ambition or detail, it risks becoming a document that does not change outcomes on the ground.
Other councils, like the City of Greater Geelong, are already taking more comprehensive approaches through detailed Plans for Nature, including mapping, measurable targets and clear actions.
This is our opportunity to ask for the same level of ambition on the Surf Coast.
Submissions are open now:
👉 https://yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/budget26-27
And will close on Monday 25 May 2026 at 10am.
If you have signed this petition, your voice already matters. Adding a short submission is another way to help shape what happens next.
You could ask council to:
- Protect existing mature habitat trees by requiring avoidance first, not removal and replacement, and committing to no net loss of canopy and habitat function across the shire
- Measure and publicly report vegetation cover change annually, including cumulative loss and gain, using consistent data so trends are visible and accountable over time
- Map and protect habitat and wildlife corridors at a whole of landscape scale, and integrate this into planning decisions before clearing occurs
- Set clear, time bound biodiversity targets aligned with national commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, with regular reporting on progress
- Develop a funded, enforceable Plan for Nature, not just a high-level strategy, with defined actions, responsibilities and accountability mechanisms.
Thank you for being part of this. This is how community voices help shape real change.
Many thanks,
Aleisja.