Brimbank tabled motions to help local government address homelessness and more equitable funding for libraries at the State Council Meeting of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) on Friday 16 May 2025.
Brimbank CEO Fiona Blair and elected delegate Cr Katharine Nikolic attended the MAV State Council meeting with other Victorian councils to discuss common challenges and to help set the agenda for local governments in Victoria and across Australia.
Homelessness and fair funding for libraries were the focus of two motions brought to the meeting by Cr Nikolic in her role as MAV Delegate for Brimbank.
Cr Nikolic (pictured above) asked for MAV to call on the Victorian Government to address homelessness by:
- increasing the level of funding of the specialist homelessness service workforce, including assertive outreach services based in the social support sector
- funding a coordination function based in Councils to lead prevention activities and guide service coordination efforts across community support, community safety and public amenity services
- supporting a long-term National Housing & Homelessness Strategy, and
- prioritising the unique service & Support needs for groups that are over-represented in the homeless population and/or have unique needs: Aboriginal people, anyone experiencing chronic homelessness or sleeping rough, women and young people.
For more information on Council’s role around homelessness please visit: https://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/living-here/our-wellbeing-and-safety/homelessness
In a second motion, Cr Nikolic asked for the MAV to call on the Victorian Government to introduce a ‘needs-based’ formula for distribution of funding to individual library services based on factors such as population and socio-economic disadvantage.
Both motions were endorsed at the MAV State Council Meeting.
