Working together on the 2026/27 Council budget

Share Working together on the 2026/27 Council budget on Facebook Share Working together on the 2026/27 Council budget on Twitter Share Working together on the 2026/27 Council budget on Linkedin Email Working together on the 2026/27 Council budget link

Loddon Shire Council invites residents and community members to help shape the 2026/27 Budget. You can do so via the survey below, which is open until Friday, 3 April.


How the budget supports our community

The Budget funds 45 essential services that support everyday life across the Shire, including road works, waste collection, recycling services, care of parks and gardens, council buildings, planning and environmental health services, support for local culture and events, environmental protection, and the provision of sporting and recreation facilities to promote healthy lifestyles.

The Shire covers approximately 6,700 square kilometres and includes 4,759 kilometres of roads, along with a large number of bridges, community infrastructure and recreational facilities that must be maintained. Loddon Shire has a population of almost 7,800 people across five main townships and includes around 8,100 rateable properties.

Around 41 per cent of Council’s revenue is generated from rates and service charges, with the remainder from user fees and government grants. Over the past few years, costs have increased at a much higher rate than income, resulting in less funding available for new projects. As community needs continue to grow and costs rise, Council will need to consider additional options for managing future financial pressures.

Community feedback will be considered alongside other budget factors, including existing commitments and multi-year projects. A range of consultation opportunities will be developed for future budget cycles to gather community input. Budget planning is an ongoing process, shaped by community engagement and everyday interactions with Council, and we welcome your ideas and feedback.

Council budget overview

Loddon Shire Council is now preparing its next Budget. Every year, Councillors and Council officers work together to develop an annual budget that outlines the income Council expects to receive and how those funds will be allocated. The budget explains how council rates will be used to deliver services and to renew, maintain or upgrade facilities for our community, while also highlighting the key initiatives Council plans to deliver over the year.

To achieve a balanced budget, Council must ensure it can fund core services and deliver the strategic objectives set out in the Council Plan, along with any additional initiatives.

The development of the annual budget is guided by the Council Plan and the strategies and plans adopted by Council. The Council Plan is developed every four years in consultation with the community.

Council is seeking community input to help inform the preparation of the 2026/27 Budget.


Integrated Framework

Council uses an Integrated Planning Framework to align its strategic, corporate and operational plans to deliver core services and achieve sustainable outcomes for the community. The framework includes short, medium and long-term plans that guide Council’s direction and decision making.

The Budget is a key part of Council’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework. It is developed in response to the Council Plan priorities and outlines the funding required to deliver Council services and initiatives over the next 12 months and the following three financial years.

This framework helps Council identify community needs and aspirations, with the Budget prepared each year to support Council Plan priorities and the delivery of services and initiatives.


Financial capacity and constraints

The Fair Go Rates system (rate capping) limits the annual increase in total rates revenue to well below inflation and rising contract costs. This creates a growing gap between income and expenses, placing pressure on Council’s cash reserves and making it more challenging to maintain existing service levels over time.

Council cannot simply pass these increased costs on to service users without considering the financial pressures faced by the community. In many cases, fee increases do not fully cover the rising cost of delivering current services.

Council also manages a large asset base, including an extensive road network of over 4759 kilometres, 220 bridges, buildings, parks, open spaces and community facilities. Maintaining these assets to a safe and usable standard is a significant ongoing challenge due to the scale and condition.

The Financial Plan aligns Council’s long-term service objectives with its financial capacity. It provides a 10year financial projection that demonstrates how actions in the Council Plan will be funded to achieve the Community Vision. The Financial Plan incorporates asset management requirements to ensure asset renewal, upgrade and maintenance programs are financially sustainable over the long term.


Engagement Update

This year, Council brought forward the community engagement process to enable the consideration of community feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget. 

Residents and members of the community are invited to share their feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget by lodging a Budget Submission and completing an online survey. 


What Happens Next

All feedback and submissions will be considered alongside projected revenue, existing commitments, strategic priorities and community needs when developing recommendations for the 2026/27 Budget.

A Council meeting will be held in April 2026 to consider Budget Submissions before the final 2026/27 Budget is considered for adoption at the June 2026 Council meeting.

Loddon Shire Council invites residents and community members to help shape the 2026/27 Budget. You can do so via the survey below, which is open until Friday, 3 April.


How the budget supports our community

The Budget funds 45 essential services that support everyday life across the Shire, including road works, waste collection, recycling services, care of parks and gardens, council buildings, planning and environmental health services, support for local culture and events, environmental protection, and the provision of sporting and recreation facilities to promote healthy lifestyles.

The Shire covers approximately 6,700 square kilometres and includes 4,759 kilometres of roads, along with a large number of bridges, community infrastructure and recreational facilities that must be maintained. Loddon Shire has a population of almost 7,800 people across five main townships and includes around 8,100 rateable properties.

Around 41 per cent of Council’s revenue is generated from rates and service charges, with the remainder from user fees and government grants. Over the past few years, costs have increased at a much higher rate than income, resulting in less funding available for new projects. As community needs continue to grow and costs rise, Council will need to consider additional options for managing future financial pressures.

Community feedback will be considered alongside other budget factors, including existing commitments and multi-year projects. A range of consultation opportunities will be developed for future budget cycles to gather community input. Budget planning is an ongoing process, shaped by community engagement and everyday interactions with Council, and we welcome your ideas and feedback.

Council budget overview

Loddon Shire Council is now preparing its next Budget. Every year, Councillors and Council officers work together to develop an annual budget that outlines the income Council expects to receive and how those funds will be allocated. The budget explains how council rates will be used to deliver services and to renew, maintain or upgrade facilities for our community, while also highlighting the key initiatives Council plans to deliver over the year.

To achieve a balanced budget, Council must ensure it can fund core services and deliver the strategic objectives set out in the Council Plan, along with any additional initiatives.

The development of the annual budget is guided by the Council Plan and the strategies and plans adopted by Council. The Council Plan is developed every four years in consultation with the community.

Council is seeking community input to help inform the preparation of the 2026/27 Budget.


Integrated Framework

Council uses an Integrated Planning Framework to align its strategic, corporate and operational plans to deliver core services and achieve sustainable outcomes for the community. The framework includes short, medium and long-term plans that guide Council’s direction and decision making.

The Budget is a key part of Council’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework. It is developed in response to the Council Plan priorities and outlines the funding required to deliver Council services and initiatives over the next 12 months and the following three financial years.

This framework helps Council identify community needs and aspirations, with the Budget prepared each year to support Council Plan priorities and the delivery of services and initiatives.


Financial capacity and constraints

The Fair Go Rates system (rate capping) limits the annual increase in total rates revenue to well below inflation and rising contract costs. This creates a growing gap between income and expenses, placing pressure on Council’s cash reserves and making it more challenging to maintain existing service levels over time.

Council cannot simply pass these increased costs on to service users without considering the financial pressures faced by the community. In many cases, fee increases do not fully cover the rising cost of delivering current services.

Council also manages a large asset base, including an extensive road network of over 4759 kilometres, 220 bridges, buildings, parks, open spaces and community facilities. Maintaining these assets to a safe and usable standard is a significant ongoing challenge due to the scale and condition.

The Financial Plan aligns Council’s long-term service objectives with its financial capacity. It provides a 10year financial projection that demonstrates how actions in the Council Plan will be funded to achieve the Community Vision. The Financial Plan incorporates asset management requirements to ensure asset renewal, upgrade and maintenance programs are financially sustainable over the long term.


Engagement Update

This year, Council brought forward the community engagement process to enable the consideration of community feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget. 

Residents and members of the community are invited to share their feedback to inform the development of the 2026/27 Budget by lodging a Budget Submission and completing an online survey. 


What Happens Next

All feedback and submissions will be considered alongside projected revenue, existing commitments, strategic priorities and community needs when developing recommendations for the 2026/27 Budget.

A Council meeting will be held in April 2026 to consider Budget Submissions before the final 2026/27 Budget is considered for adoption at the June 2026 Council meeting.

  • What would you like to see in the 2026/27 budget?

    Take Survey
    Share What would you like to see in the 2026/27 budget? on Facebook Share What would you like to see in the 2026/27 budget? on Twitter Share What would you like to see in the 2026/27 budget? on Linkedin Email What would you like to see in the 2026/27 budget? link
Page last updated: 12 Mar 2026, 01:51 PM