Draft budget 2025/26

We're inviting community members to review and make submissions on our draft budget 2025/26.

The suite of budget documents includes:

• Draft Budget 2025/26
• Draft Operating Income and Expense by Service Plan
• Draft 10-Year Financial Plan
• Draft Revenue and Rating Plan
• Capital Works commentary

These documents detail how Council will invest its resources to deliver the services, infrastructure and support our community needs.

Developing the Draft Budget

In preparing the draft budget, Council has taken into consideration priorities identified by the community during its Council Plan engagement as well as actions included in other key strategies and plans.

Throughout 2024 and early 2025, we engaged extensively with the community to understand your priorities. Your responses reinforced the need for Council to focus on road maintenance, infrastructure renewal, and community wellbeing -- priorities that have directly shaped this budget.

Despite the significant financial pressures facing all Victorian councils, we have developed a draft budget that maintains all current services while introducing several important new initiatives and a solid capital works program.

Key Budget Highlights

Capital Works Program - $8.3 Million

We're proposing an $11.62M capital works program, of which $3.3M is being carried forward from the current budget to complete projects already approved. Proposed investment includes:

• $4.6M for new, renewed, and upgraded roads, bridges, and pathways
• $500,000 (in addition to the $100,000 in the current budget) to replace the roof at the Beechworth Town Hall
• $180,000 to repair the roof at the Burke Museum
• $1M to upgrade facilities at the Rutherglen Caravan Park
• $750,000 for the replacement of McFeeters Road bridge in Beechworth
• $90,000 to provide a footpath link from the new Rutherglen aged care facility to the town centre

Additional investments

In response to community feedback, we're also proposing significant investment in:

• $200,000 increase in road maintenance
• $90,000 for streetscape beautification works across the Shire
• $25,000 for trail maintenance to support our expanded rail trail and mountain bike networks
• $40,000 to plan for the future of our shire's tourism in the context of increasing visitation and the future World Heritage Listing

Essential services and operations

The budget includes funds to ensure the ongoing delivery of essential services, such as:

• Roads, footpaths, drainage and building maintenance
• Rubbish and recycling collections
• Cycle paths, parks and gardens
• Maternal and child health services
• Libraries and swimming pools
• And many more community services

Financial context

It's important to note that we are currently awaiting the result of our rate cap increase application with the Essential Services Commission. This application is to transfer the Environmental Management Contribution to general rates in accordance with the Local Government Minister's "Good Practice Guidelines for Service Rates and Charges."

This is a revenue-neutral change that will have no impact on Council's total revenue but will change how waste services are funded. If approved, general rates will increase by 7.54% (3% rate cap plus 4.54% for the transfer), with the Environmental Management Contribution being eliminated.

You can read our submission by clicking on the link under important links.

Make a submission

The community now has 21 days to review the documents and if compelled, to make a formal submission.

1. Review the draft budget documents
2. Submit your feedback via info@indigoshire.vic.gov.au
3. Submissions close at 5pm, 4 June 2025

What happens next

1. Consideration of submissions - All submissions received during the public exhibition period will be carefully considered by Council
2. Budget adoption - Following consideration of submissions, Council will consider adopting the final Budget 2025/26 at its June Council meeting
3. Implementation - Once adopted, Council will begin implementing the budget from July 1, 2025

We thank everyone who contributed to the development of this budget. Your feedback has been invaluable in helping us understand community priorities and shape a budget that reflects the needs of our Shire.