Baw Baw Shire's Cr Michael Leaney has been returned as chair of Peri Urban Councils Victoria.
Cr Moira Barry from Moorabool Shire also will continue as deputy chair of the group's leadership.
Cr Leaney said the peri urban regions around Melbourne and Geelong were some of the fastest growing in Australia and a report commissioned by PUCV last year, Managing Growth in Peri Urban Areas, started a national conversation about the way urban growth is planned, managed and funded.
He said this year the group would take an active role in shaping the National Urban Policy, Plan Victoria and take part in a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into food supply in peri urban areas.
In the next few weeks PUCV will be heading to Canberra to advocate to the federal government for a better deal for their communities.
The body represents five shires; Baw Baw, Bass Coast, Golden Plains, Moorabool and Surf Coast.
Baw Baw mayor Annemarie McCabe said the re-election of Crs Leaney and Berry was a significant vote of confidence in the leadership.
She said peri urban regions face unique pressures and advocating for policies and to address problems of rapid population growth were extremely important to maintain and enhance the quality of life in areas like Baw Baw.
Cr McCabe said Cr Leaney's experience as a councillor and former mayor gave him a deep understanding of the issues we face.
"Securing targeted funding and advocating for policies that will let us address the challenges of rapid population growth are so important to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in our shire," she said.