The Council is made up of the elected members consisting of members of the public that reside within the Shire. The Shire (or Local Government Association) is the authority that administers the day to day operation of the Shire. The Council meets on a regular basis to discuss and make decisions relating to policy, strategic direction, finance etc.

Before an item is considered at a Council meeting, the item will in most cases be considered and written up by staff of the Shire including a recommendation for appropriate action. One or more items to be considered at a meeting is called an Agenda and each item within the agenda is called an Agenda Item.

After the meeting, a set of Minutes is prepared which reflect the decision of Council on each item. The set of Minutes is made up of individual "Minute Items" each of which deals with a specific issue. In the case of Victoria Plains, there are approximately 10-20 Minute Items to each set of Minutes.