Regional LG MEA keeps rolling!

01 July 2026

ASU members at Buloke Shire remain confident that a second ballot held at their Council will again reinforce that those workers want to join their colleagues across the seven Regional VIC Councils already committed to collectively bargaining for a new multi-employer Agreement next year.

After workers voted resoundingly for multi-employer bargaining over single-employer bargaining, the second ballot asks specifically whether Buloke Shire employees want to join the Ararat/Central Goldfields MEA, or bargain with a different regional Council to establish a new MEA. The confounding part is that no other willing partner exists, so other than wasting some of Councils time (not to mention money) we’re unclear what the point of this approach was, while feeling confident it won’t change the outcome!

While this is going on, more and more workers at Moyne Shire Council are signing the ASU petition to also rope-in to the Regional VIC MEA. They may first have to overcome what we’re anticipating is a shoddy offer for a single-employer EBA first, unless the Council CEO changes their approach and gives their staff a chance to have a say first. Hopefully common sense and good management prevails, but thanks to the superior multi-bargaining laws the workers will get to decide regardless!

All eyes across regional Victoria now also turn to City of Greater Ballarat, where a group of amazing ASU Delegates are mobilizing across their workforce to talk to their peers about the merits of multi-employer bargaining, and joining all their neighboring councils at the table next year.

With 9 more Regional VIC Council EBAs expiring before July next year, there’s still plenty of room aboard the ASU Regional MEA Express as we make our way along the track towards superior workplace wages and conditions!