Draft Budget 2024/25 - community feedback invited

We have released the Draft Budget 2024/25, Draft 10 Year Financial Plan (2024/25 - 2033/34) and Draft Four Year Revenue and Rating Plan (2024/25 - 2027/28) for community feedback. Council endorsed the Draft Budget for release at the 30 April 2024 Council Meeting.

Councillors and officers have prepared a draft budget that aligns with the Council Plan and has a strong focus on managing within our means.

Mayor Cr Tom Crook said Council understands that cost-of-living pressures are impacting many people.

"We have developed a disciplined budget that keeps rates within a 2.75% increase (rate cap) and aligns our fees and charges with inflation,” Cr Crook said.

“We have put considerable effort into balancing community aspirations for more of some services, while delivering on our legislative obligations and keeping the financial impact on community as low as possible.”

Chief Executive Officer Fiona Weigall said officers and councillors have been mindful of the challenges that continue to impact the community.

“We're part of the community, and we understand the challenges of our economic climate and cost-of-living pressures. We're continually looking at ways to improve the efficiency of our service delivery and innovate to ensure we remain financially sustainable,” Ms Weigall said.

“We're not immune to global financial challenges, including higher inflation and rapidly rising costs. Through prudent budgeting and looking at our services, we have developed a program that proposes a range of continuing and new initiatives that supports the delivery of the Council Plan and community aspirations."

We are here to help

We are here to help any ratepayers who are experiencing difficulty in paying their rates. We ask ratepayers to contact us as soon as possible if they will have trouble making their rates payments as penalty interest applies to rates that are unpaid after the due date/s. We can discuss potential options available to you. Ratepayers experiencing financial hardship may also apply for assistance under our Financial Hardship Policy.

Your feedback is important

Our commitment is to work with the community to continue to progress what is important to East Gippslanders and use our budget prudently.

We invite the community to review the detail of the documents below. Community feedback will be open from 1 May to 29 May 2024 (12pm).

We welcome feedback and are committed to explaining how your suggestions can be progressed. We will also respond to all submitters individually following the adoption of the budget.

Councillors will consider all feedback at a briefing session (not a formal meeting). If there are changes as a result of the feedback these changes will be reflected in the final draft documents being considered at the 25 June 2024 Council Meeting.

You can provide feedback by:

Completing the survey and/or quick poll below
Mail to Chief Executive Officer, PO Box 1618 Bairnsdale 3875
Email to feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au
In person at any of our service centres and libraries

Preparing the Draft Budget

Each year we build a budget that delivers on the strategic direction set out in the Council Plan – a document we develop in consultation with the community and stakeholders.

Key budget highlights

Total operating expenditure: $126.2m
Investment in infrastructure: $77.3m
Income from rates: $72.2m
Income from fees and charges: $15.8m
Borrowings: $0.5m
Other income sources: $6.5m
Operating and capital grants: $54.4m

This year we have included a snapshot as introduction to the Draft Budget 2024/25. This outlines items including:

New initiatives
Capital budget projects
Rates - general residential, commercial/industrial and farming
Fees and charges (including waste and the Municipal Charge)
Grant funding
Our advocacy efforts

This Information Sheet also provides further detail on the rate cap, rates, fees and charges, property valuations and how to object to your property valuation.