Yarrawonga group pushing for ‘YEXIT’ from Moira Shire Council

By Robert Muir

Mar 16, 2023

Aspirations: Yarrawonga Exit from Moira Shire (YEXIT) group leader John Leary with the Moira commission of inquiry report. “The report vindicates that we’re really on to something,” he said.

“There’s no better time to push forward with the effort to establish a standalone council in the eastern end of Moira Shire.”

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That is the strong view expressed by YEXIT (Yarrawonga Exit from Moira Shire) group leader John Leary, following the sacking last week of the Moira Shire Council, which comprises five former councils of the Yarrawonga, Tungamah, Cobram, Numurkah and Nathalia Shires.

The proposed standalone shire would include Yarrawonga, Bundalong, Wilby, Lake Rowan, St James and Burramine, but the group needs further support from those communities to progress forward with Victorian Local Government Minister Melissa Horne.

The sacking of council resulted from the controversial Commission of Inquiry into Moira Shire Council report. The report prepared by chair Frances O’Brien and John Tanner was presented to the minister on February 26 and was made available to the public on Tuesday, March 7, the date the council was sacked by the minister.

The damming report provides findings and recommendations to restore good governance to the greater Moira Shire community.

“The report vindicates that we’re really on to something — that we want an independent council, and we want to be taken seriously,” Mr Leary said last Friday.

“We’ve had two letters from the minister (Ms Horne) and have a meeting next week to plan our next moves.

“YEXIT would like to work with an advisory committee or panel of the minister’s office.”

Beforehand, however, YEXIT, which comprises a group of local community-minded people, would propose to have a consultant prepare a strategic plan with a full case study, which would hopefully be paid for by the Victorian Government.

A petition seeking support from Yarrawonga and district residents and ratepayers to break away from Moira Shire and form a Yarrawonga Shire began when YEXIT was formed last November.

The petition quickly gathered 700 signatures. “We now have over 2000 signatures,” Mr Leary said.

“Mansfield and Benalla de-amalgamated from the Delatite Shire about 20 years ago in Victoria and Gundagai Shire, NSW was successful last year removing itself from the Cootamundra Shire.

“Both instances were made possible through strong local support — they started with a petition. Things to happen in Yarrawonga have taken far too long. We’re still waiting in a lot of instances.”

Anyone wishing to assist with YEXIT and its effort to gain more signatures of support can ring John Leary on 0417 138 141.