Draft Budget and Revenue & Rating Plan
Council is pleased to provide the Draft Budget to the community for feedback and comment. This is the final budget prepared in alignment with the 2021-2025 Council Plan. Council is currently preparing a new Council Plan for 2025-2029 which will shape and guide future budgets and the communities' priorities.
About the 2025- 2026 Budget
The Budget outlines the broad range of services provided by Council and builds upon the previous Community Vision and Council Plan. It also includes initiatives and indicators which help the community to see Council’s progress in delivering services to the community through its quarterly reporting.
The Budget has been prepared based on delivering the same level of services to the community including maintaining our assets to the best standard with the available funding. Council continues to advocate for additional government funding to support service delivery, asset maintenance and other priorities identified in the Council Plan. Funding agreements for new or enhanced assets have also been included.
Balancing the increasing cost of delivering services with limited revenue sources has seen Council prepare the budget based on a 3% increase in municipal rates and charges (excluding waste services charges) in line with the Victorian Government's Rate cap for the 2025-2026 financial year.
To assist with the continued increased cost of living, Council has retained the additional “Council funded” pensioner rebate amount of $50. This rebate is the amount Council funds over and above the State Government rebate offered to pensioners.
Budget Highlights –Capital Works
The proposed Budget includes a capital works program in excess of $23million.
The program will be funded by $8million of grant funding, $250,000 of external contributions with the remainder coming from Reserves (these are funds set aside over multiple years for specific types of projects) and general cash reserves.
Some of the highlights from this year’s capital works budget are:
• City Oval Netball Clubrooms completion and fit out
• City Oval Pavilion and Changerooms
• Wimmera Libraries Open Access fit out
• Public Toilet Upgrade at Firebrace Street
• Horsham Town Hall lighting desk
• Apex (Adventure) Island Eastern Boardwalk Crossing and Fishing Platform
• Further work on developing our various industrial estates ($2.8m) and
• Over $7m in road and street works.
Operating expenses overview
The 2025-2026 Budget has been developed to consider the current external and internal factors impacting Council’s overall financial position. In general costs to deliver services are increasing at levels far beyond the level of revenue received in operating grants and community fees and charges. Some specific areas are subject to increases larger than others and Council has therefore increased the charges for these services. Waste continues to be once such area. The impact of State and Federal Government legislation and charges has seen increases in waste costs and therefore the amount charged to the community, however the waste collection charges have been maintained at a 3% increase.
The community is urged to also read Council’s Draft Revenue & Rating Plan 2025-2029 and Fees & Charges Register 2025/26 which are key documents in the preparation of the Draft Budget.
Have your say on the 2025-2026 Draft Budget and Rating & Revenue Plan by 5pm, 6 June 2025.
How to have your say:
Online
• Completing one or both of the surveys below.
