The Future is Local: MAV State Election Campaign 2026
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) haas launched its 2026 State Election Campaign with a clear message to MPs and candidates: The future is local. The time is now.
Victorian communities are facing rapid and complex change, and councils are on the frontline of both responding now and preparing for the future. They are first responders in times of crisis; and they are long-term partners in community recovery, resilience, and innovation.
Victoria is at a turning point.
Communities are feeling the pressure of climate impacts, rising costs, digital disruption and demographic shifts. And when these pressures intensify, people turn to their local council.
Councils are the level of government they experience every day, through footpaths, libraries, maternal and child health services, open spaces, planning decisions, and community programs.
The future is local. The time is now.
All 79 Victorian councils have come together to identify the five statewide priorities communities say matter most:
- Growing Futures: Connected Housing
- Local Futures: Safe and Cohesive Communities
- Productive Futures: Safer Roads and Local Transport Connections
- Regenerative Futures: Community Legacy Benefit Sharing
- Transformative Futures: Securing the Future of Local Government.
These priorities form a blueprint for a stronger, fairer, and more resilient Victoria.
Councils are ready to work with the next State Government to deliver local solutions to global challenges.