We're reviewing how we manage Council land and buildings on the Mornington Peninsula.
Council manages a large and diverse portfolio of land and buildings that supports community services and facilities across our townships and rural areas. A growing population, rising service expectations, and financial and environmental pressures mean we need a more coordinated and sustainable approach to how we manage, buy, and sell land.
We are seeking community feedback on three related documents that form our Property Framework:
- Draft Property Strategy
- Draft Sale and Acquisition of Land Policy
- Draft Discontinuance of Roads and Minor Reserves Policy
Decisions about managing property, buying and selling land, and discontinuing roads or reserves are often interconnected.
By consulting on them together, we aim to give the community a clear, complete picture and the opportunity to provide feedback on how these decisions work as a whole. A single Property Framework also supports clearer, more consistent and more transparent decision‑making.
Anyone with an interest in Council land and buildings is encouraged to have their say.
About this Review
This draft Strategy sets out how Council will manage its property portfolio over the next five years. It provides a clear framework for making decisions about Council-owned land and buildings in a way that delivers long-term benefits for the community and keeps Council financially sustainable.
This draft Policy sets out clear criteria for when Council may sell land it no longer requires and when it may acquire new land. It ensures these decisions are made strategically, support the community’s changing needs and are guided by consistent and transparent principles.
The Sale and Acquisition of Land Policy provides this framework by incorporating an agreed set of principles and clear criteria to determine when land is suitable for purchase through an Acquisition Matrix. The Acquisition Matrix is informed by Council’s strategies and plans, ensuring that decisions to acquire land reflect strategic priorities, support sustainable growth and respond to the evolving needs of the community.
Sometimes, Council may close a road or small reserve that is no longer required for public use. This process is known as a discontinuance. This draft Policy sets out clear principles and criteria to guide how these decisions are made, ensuring they are fair, consistent and transparent.
Council’s Discontinuance and Sale of Roads Policy, adopted in 2009, provides limited guidance on road discontinuances and primarily functions as a procedural document. The proposed Discontinuance of Roads and Minor Reserves Policy introduces an agreed set of principles and clear criteria to ensure discontinuance proposals are considered equitably and managed in a transparent and consistent manner.
