Nillumbik Shire Council

🎉 Got a great idea for this year’s Seniors Festival?

Council is providing grants of up to $500 to support eligible activities for people aged 55 and over during October's Seniors Festival.

🎷 🥪 🚲 🎨 Think live music, art classes, community lunches, fitness sessions, cultural events or social gatherings. If it brings people together, we want to hear about it!

Let’s celebrate our thriving seniors community together. To find out more visit, https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Community/Grants/Council-grants/Successful-grant-recipients/Celebrating-Over-55s-Seniors-Festival-Grants-awarded

Have you seen our new Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) collection units? Attached to several public bins in the Shire, the baskets and rails are there to help recycle eligible containers through the CDS.

You can either:
▶️ Leave your container/s for someone else to collect or
▶️ Pick up some containers left by others and recycle them through the CDS for the refund

It’s a great way to keep drink containers out of general recycling.

Keep an eye out for the 10c symbol on your containers before leaving them in the collection units. Most 150ml to 3-litre containers are eligible.

You can leave these items in the collection units:
✅ Cans (don’t crush them!)
✅ Glass bottles
✅ Plastic bottles
✅ Small liquid paperboard containers (e.g. a juice box)

Please don’t leave these in the collection units:
❌ Takeaway coffee cups
❌ General rubbish
❌Milk containers or bottles
❌Cordial bottles
❌Glass wine or spirit bottles
❌Juice containers bigger than 1-litre

Visit our website for more information about the collection units and recycling containers through the CDS.

https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Container-Deposit-Scheme

Congratulations to Kayden Ramirez from Diamond Creek on receiving a Sporting and Cultural Achievement Grant.🏀

Selected to represent Australia at the NBTC National Finals in the Philippines, Kayden’s journey from the Eltham Wildcats to the Diamond Valley Eagles reflects years of dedication, hard work and passion for basketball.

Wishing him all the best as he represents the Nillumbik community on the international stage.
Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club Diamond Valley Basketball Association
Cr Kelly Joy - Edendale Ward, Nillumbik Shire

It's National Reconciliation Week, and despite the soggy weather, there was a great turnout this morning for Nillumbik’s Reconciliation Week flag raising ceremony. ☔

Wurundjeri Elder, Aunty Annette Xiberras delivered the Welcome to Country, and Mayor Cr Naomi Joiner and Youth Mayor, with students from Eltham High, Catholic Ladies College and Eltham East Primary led the ceremony and raised the flags.

🙌 The Chocolate Lilies choir closed the ceremony with an incredible rendition of Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning.

The National Reconciliation Week theme this year is All In, a time to reflect on our shared history and the role we all play in moving forward together.

Thank you to everyone who took part.
Naomi for Nillumbik Catholic Ladies' College

Just like us, cats like to get cosy in winter. With more reason to stay home with their family and snuggled up, it’s the ideal season to help your cat adjust to Nillumbik’s 24/7 cat confinement.

Not sure how to get started? There’s lots of support info on our website, including a podcast and guides.

Or talk to our Community Safety Officers for more advice on keeping your cat happy.

For the safety of wildlife and cats, 24/7 cat confinement was endorsed by Council in September 2025.

Pet owners must keep their cats on their property at all times – unless they’re securely confined (for example, in a cat carrier or with a harness).

There’s time for residents and their cats to adjust, with a transition period until October 2027.

Find out more at nillumbik.vic.gov.au/cat-confinement

Mayor Cr Naomi Joiner and Cr's Grant Brooker and Kate McKay joined local families at the Hurstbridge Community Hub, Eltham and Diamond Valley libraries today for the National Simultaneous Storytime. 📚

Together with thousands of others across the country, they read Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd. Luna Roo captures all the intense excitement of the game, with a heartwarming message that courage and determination are a winning combination. 🦘

This annual event celebrates the joy of reading and the importance of early literacy.

Pics clockwise from top left: Nillumbik Mayor Cr Naomi Joiner at Hurstbridge Community Hub, and alongside Nicole Rudden CEO of Yarra Plenty Regional Library, Cr Grant Brooker at Diamond Valley Library, and Cr Kate McKay at Eltham Library.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library, Australia
Hurstbridge Community Hub
Naomi for Nillumbik
Brooker Best For Blue Lake Cr Kate McKay - Swipers Gully - Nillumbik shire

Late last week we officially launched the $2 million upgrade to Eltham Lower Park.

Whether you head to this much-loved spot to walk, ride, play sport or simply get outdoors, there’s something for everyone, with:
• upgrades to the sports pavilion 🏏
• revegetation works 🌱
• a new dedicated off-leash dog park 🐕
• improved accessible car parking 🚗
• new fencing around the equestrian arena 🐎

This upgrade was funded through the Australian Government’s Investing in Our Communities program.

Thanks to everyone who fed into the consultation and design process.

L-R: Sue Dyett - Friends of the Diamond Creek, Nick Lambert - Vice President Lower Eltham cricket, Vicki Ward MP, Member for Eltham, Kate Thwaites MP, Federal Member for Jagajaga, Jamie Buchanan, President Eltham Lacrosse Club, , Cr Naomi Joiner, Nillumbik Mayor. Eltham Lacrosse Club
Lower Eltham Cricket Club Vicki Ward MP for Eltham Kate Thwaites MP Naomi for Nillumbik