Budget 2025/26

Each year Council prepares a budget which details income expected from various sources such as government grants, fees and charges and property rates and the funds available to deliver services, key actions from the Council Plan and to undertake capital works projects as well as maintain and renew essential infrastructure.

Council adopted the 2025/26 budget at its 23 June 2025 Council meeting along with the new Council Plan 2025-2029 and revised Community Vision.

In developing these key strategic documents, Council undertook extensive community consultation, with community members given the opportunity to provide input into what they'd like to see in the draft budget through the Council Plan engagement process and again when the draft budget was placed on public exhibition.

The suite of budget documents can be viewed or downloaded from the side panel on the right, or below if viewing via a mobile device. They include:

Primary Budget Documents

• 2025/26 Budget - Complete budget including financial statements, capital works program, and service budgets
• Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-2029 - Detailed information about rates, charges, and revenue policies
• Ten-Year Financial Plan 2026-2036 - Long-term financial sustainability planning

Supporting Documents

• Operating Income and Expense - All Service Plans 2025-2026 - Detailed breakdown of each service area budget
• Council Plan 2025-2029 - Four-year strategic plan outlining Council's vision and priorities
• Community Vision - Revised long-term vision for the Indigo Shire community

Budget Highlights 2025/26

Capital Works Program: $11.87M

• $4.6M for new, renewed, and upgraded roads, bridges, and pathways
• $1M to upgrade facilities at the Rutherglen Caravan Park
• $750,000 for the replacement of McFeeters Road bridge in Beechworth
• $500,000 (in addition to $100,000 in 2024/25) to replace the roof at the Beechworth Town Hall
• $250,000 for a new pump track at Yackandandah
• $180,000 to repair the roof at the Burke Museum

Service Enhancements

• $200,000 increase in road maintenance
• $100,000 for year-1 Council Plan actions
• $90,000 for streetscape beautification works across the Shire
• $40,000 to plan for the future of the shire's tourism in preparation for World Heritage Listing
• $25,000 for trail maintenance to support expanded rail trail and mountain bike networks

Revenue and Rating Changes

The 2025/26 budget includes a rate increase comprising:

• 3% standard rate cap increase as set by the Victorian Government
• 4.54% revenue-neutral transfer of the Environmental Management Contribution to general rates as required by state government guidelines

Important: The 4.54% transfer does not provide any additional revenue to Council - it simply changes how the same amount is collected from a flat per-property charge to a property value-based rate.

New State Government Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF)

From 1 July 2025, ratepayers will also pay the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, which replaces the Fire Services Property Levy. This state tax is collected by Council but goes directly to the state government to fund emergency services including CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria, VICSES, and Triple Zero Victoria.

Read more about the ESVF and Council’s position in opposing this new tax.

Community Consultation

Council Plan and Budget Engagement (October - December 2024)

Participation:

• 1,900 visits to the ENGAGED INDIGO platform
• 284 active contributors
• 260 surveys submitted
• 121 ideas board contributions
• 41 location-specific priorities mapped

Top Community Priorities:

• Road infrastructure and maintenance (73.4% rated "very important")
• Financial accountability and governance (76% rated "very important")
• Environmental protection and waste management
• Community facilities and local infrastructure improvements

Draft Budget Exhibition (May 2025)

Following Council's endorsement of the draft budget at the May 2025 meeting, the budget was exhibited for 21 days for community feedback.

Submissions Received: Four submissions were received during the exhibition period and were considered by Council before adopting the final budget.