2026/27 Budget

Read the 2026/27 Budget here.

We deliver a wide range of services across a large rural shire, including libraries, emergency management, roads, waste and recycling, sport and recreation, health, and local laws.

Council adopted its 2026/27 Budget on 23 June 2026, with a focus on supporting community, protecting critical services, and ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable over the long term.

The Budget demonstrates a careful balance between service delivery, infrastructure investment and responding to cost-of-living pressures facing the community.

The 2026/27 Budget:

• Average rate increase of 2.5%, below the State Government cap and below CPI.
• More than $54.4 million in capital works investment, with $22.7m funded by grants.
• $1.5m in savings and efficiency measures to help manage rising costs, in addition to $2m in ongoing savings achieved in 2025/26.
• $483,000 in pensioner rebates.
• Delivers investment in roads, parks, community facilities and essential services across the shire, while acknowledging the cost-of-living pressures many households are facing.

As a Council delivering services across 21,000 km² – approximately 10% of Victoria – there is an ongoing challenge of efficiently delivering services across a large and dispersed region. Our demographics and geography often require duplication of services to ensure all communities are supported, including multiple service centres, waste transfer stations, libraries and open spaces. This comes at a cost that must be balanced against our commitment to support communities.

‍Other strategic documents

• Four Year Revenue and Rating Plan 2026/27 to 2029/30
• Financial Plan 2026/27 to 2035/36

Fact sheets

• Budget Fact Sheet 2026/27
• Budget Snapshot 2026/27
• Budget Feedback 2026/27
• Budget Engagement Summary 2026/27
• Long Term Financial Plan 2026/27
• Revenue and Rating Plan 2026/27

Further reading and messages from the Mayor can be found in our media releases.

Community feedback shapes Budget

This year we engaged the community earlier in the Budget process, to give the community greater influence in shaping the Budget.

Councillors wanted to ensure we heard community priorities to directly inform decision-making. This early input provided detail on what matters most and helped shape investment across services and infrastructure.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their views through our online feedback options, at community pop-up sessions, stakeholder meetings, or other direct engagement opportunities.”

A total of 340 people responded to the online survey, 46 contributed through a survey at community pop-ups, and 16 individual submissions were received. There were more than 1,100 visits to our online feedback page.

• Read the engagement report and how the budget responds to community input.
• Engagement on the Budget is now open year-round, and you can leave your feedback for what should be considered in future budgets on our engagement portal.
• Watch the Council Meeting Budget adoption

Previous Budget

• ‍2025/26

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Our Services Guide

A snapshot of the services and programs delivered by Council.