Moira Shire Council has released its Draft Financial Plan 2025-2035 and Draft Budget 2025-2026 for community consultation. These documents set out Council’s commitment to long-term financial sustainability while continuing to deliver the essential services, infrastructure and support that the community rely on.
The Draft Financial Plan demonstrates Council’s intent to sustainably fund the actions and initiatives within the Draft Council Plan 2025 – 2029, which acts as a road map to achieve the Draft Community Vision 2045. The plan focuses on strengthening Council’s future financial performance by adopting principles to improve Council’s underlying result and ensuring investment in asset renewal and maintenance is prioritised.
Moira Shire Council Chair Administrator Dr Graeme Emonson PSM said the plan also prioritised the delivery of high-quality services that meet the needs of a growing and diverse community.
“The draft Financial Plan serves as a roadmap to guide Council’s financial decisions and ensure they align with both long-term goals and short-term priorities,” Dr Emonson said.
“Guided by this plan, the Draft Budget 2025-2026 outlines how Council proposes to allocate its funding in the year ahead, including a $46.5 million works program that contains significant investment in roads, bridges, footpaths, and community spaces.”
Support for local services remains a key focus said Dr Emonson, with funding allocated to improve maternal and child health services, enhance sport and recreation facilities, maintain reserves and open spaces and continue to support the many other services offered to the community.
To deliver this program, Council is proposing a 3 per cent increase in general rates, which remains within the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates cap.
“This careful and measured approach aims to balance cost-of-living pressures for households with the need to maintain and improve local infrastructure and services that support a connected, resilient and liveable Shire,” Dr Emonson said.
Council acknowledges that some individual ratepayers may experience increases above the rate cap, and others below the rate cap, due to changes in property valuations. These valuations are conducted independently by the Valuer-General Victoria. In developing its draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025 – 2029, which is also released for community consultation, Council has made changes to the rating structure including a reduction in the farming differential rate from 100 per cent to 95 per cent.
“This step recognises the rate burden farm properties carry due to the large capital improved valuations of their land relative to other business enterprises. Council has also maintained a consistent municipal charge to ensure all properties contribute a base amount regardless of the value of their property,” Moira Shire Council Chief Executive Officer Matthew Morgan said.