Community feedback invited on Draft Council Budget

Published on 29 April 2026

Council’s Draft 2026-27 Budget is now available for community feedback.

The budget has been developed in a challenging economic environment, as we seek to maintain service levels and valued community facilities in the face of continued rising costs.

Have your say and find out what's planned for your area

It is a financially responsible budget featuring a strong focus on maintenance and renewal of public assets such as roads, pathways and public open spaces, including:

$21.21 million total investment in roads, taking in civil maintenance and repairs, renewal projects and road safety upgrades across the shire.
An extra $109,000 investment towards improved turf management on sports fields.
An extra $50,000 to expand the annual dust suppression program for unsealed roads.

Newly funded road projects for 2026-27 include:

Barwon Terrace, Winchelsea ($1.34 million upgrade)
Bambra-Boonah Road, Bambra ($276,000 unsealed road renewal)
Ervins Road, Mount Moriac ($209,000 unsealed road renewal)
O’Donohue Road, Anglesea ($115,000 sealed road renewal)

These projects form part of a $48.8 million multi-year capital projects investment, which also includes:

replacement of the synthetic Parwan Soccer Pitch at Torquay’s Banyul-Warri Fields ($1.87 million);
refurbishment of the Australian National Surfing Museum ($1.5 million);
completion of the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Torquay; and
repair of the Pollocksford Road bridge in Gnarwarre.

Our capital projects are funded through a mix of direct Council investment (including borrowings) and external funding sources, such as state and federal government grants.

Funding has also been included in the budget to help the environment and adapt to the changing climate, generate economic activity, or support valued cultural and community services, such as:

$873,857 Geelong Regional Library Corporation contribution for library services in Surf Coast Shire (up $23,357 from $850,500 in 2025-26);
$300,000 for technical investigation and design of a Resource Recovery Centre in Torquay;
$160,000 for year three of Council’s ‘Branching Out’ public tree planting project;
$150,000 allocation towards Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism;
$63,000 to operate the Anglesea Art Space; and
a new $10,000 annual public art restoration allocation.

The draft budget factors in a total average rate rise of 2.75 per cent, which is in line with the Victorian Government’s cap.

Recognising the challenging business environment, a second year of temporary rate relief for farms and commercial/industrial land has been included in the form of reduced rating differentials for these property types. (Further information is included in ‘key facts and figures’ below.)

Reflecting the need to operate efficiently to maximise ratepayer value, the budget has incorporated $331,000 in new operational savings.

This takes our accumulated ongoing operational savings for the past three financial years to $3.67 million.

As we consult on this draft budget, we are also closely monitoring the implications of the global fuel crisis, and may need to make adjustments to the final budget as the impacts become clearer.

Mayor Libby Stapleton invited the community to read the budget and provide feedback during the submission period.

“We feel this is a considered budget that balances the immediate needs of the community with long-term financial sustainability, and will position us to meet our current and future demands,” Mayor Stapleton said.

“It features investment in the services we know our community values, and places a high priority on renewal and maintenance of public assets such as community buildings, roads, paths and recreation facilities.

“At the same time, it will also help us work towards our goals of being an environmental leader, supporting community wellbeing, and generating economic activity in the shire.

“This is a draft budget and we will consider all community feedback, so please take the opportunity to have your say.”

Submissions are now open and will close at 10am on Monday 25 May.

The 2026-27 Council Budget is the first delivered under the Council Plan 2025-29, and will help achieve the goals in the plan’s strategic directions of:

Assets and Infrastructure
Climate and Environmental Leadership
Community Wellbeing
High Performing Council, and
Sustainable Communities.

The Budget has been shaped by the community's insights and direction via our Council Plan engagement process, which included a survey of more than 1000 community members, and a deliberative panel featuring community representatives from across the shire.

DRAFT COUNCIL BUDGET 2026-27 – KEY FACTS AND FIGURES

Rates

Rates are our main source of revenue.

The draft budget proposes a total average rate rise of 2.75 per cent.

This is in line with Victorian Government cap, and is important in helping cover the rising cost of delivering our services and projects.

Continued temporary relief for farms and commercial/industrial land

Last year, in recognition of the drought and difficult business environment, we lowered the rating differential for farmland and commercial property, as a temporary relief measure.

Council is proposing to maintain those lowered differentials for another year, providing savings for these ratepayers.

(The ‘rating differential’ is the percentage used to calculate how much each property category contributes to overall rates.)

The Farm Rate Land differential will stay at 64 per cent (remaining down from 75 per cent in 2024-25) and Commercial/Industrial Rate Land will stay at 165 per cent (down from 190 per cent in 2024-25).

The aim of continuing these reductions is to help ease financial pressure on commercial, industrial, and farming ratepayers for a further year, recognising the impacts of drought and reduced visitation caused by extreme weather events during January.

NOTE: These measures do not necessarily result in a reduction in rates for these property types, but provide a lower increase than would be the case via a return to the 2024-25 differentials.

Waste Service Charge:

The proposed charges for 2026-27 are:

Urban waste service charge: $533 (up 3.5 per cent)
Rural waste service charge: $519 (up 6.1 per cent)

The waste service charge does not sit within the rate cap.

It covers the rising costs of kerbside collections, waste disposal and recyclable material processing, public litter management, and the operation of Council’s resource recovery centres and the Anglesea landfill.

In setting these charges for 2026-27, Council has factored in:

The significant upcoming cost of the closure and rehabilitation of the Anglesea landfill (estimated at $12.6 million); and
Continued annual increases in the Victorian Government’s EPA waste levy, which has risen more than 163 per cent since 2019-20.

Council is progressively aligning the Urban and Rural waste services charges, which is why the Rural charge is proposed to increase more than the Urban charge.

Capital works spend:

Total: $41.73 million in 2026-27
Newly funded projects: $20.48 million
Multi-year projects continuing or projects carried forward from 2025-26: $21.25 million

Our capital works budget includes projects funded partly or entirely via external sources such as state and federal government grants.

Capital works expenditure by category includes:

Buildings $16.99 million
Bridges $1.28 million
Drainage and sewerage $1.79 million
Footpaths and cycleways $1.02 million
Parks, open spaces and streetscapes $687,000
Recreation, leisure and communities $4.32 million
Roads $11.08 million
Waste management $546,000

Asset Renewal Program:

Asset renewal budget by category includes:

Active Play items $150,000
Bridges $100,000
Buildings $850,000
Drainage $150,000
Facility signage $30,000
Fencing $200,000
Footpaths $500,000
Park furniture $100,000
Playgrounds $200,000
Sealed roads $2.2 million
Skate parks $300,000
Unsealed roads $1.04 million

By the end of the 2026-27 financial year, Council will be responsible for the upkeep of $1.58 billion in assets, taking in property, infrastructure, plant and equipment.

Other noteworthy funding allocations:

$33,000 Christmas decorations and activations shire-wide
$27,000 Major event support for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (including the Lorne to Torquay Surf Coast Classic)
$240,000 Municipal Emergency Management Program with Colac Otway and Corangamite Shires
$170,000 Torquay Town Centre and Baines Crescent precinct revitalisation planning
$100,000 Winchelsea Structure Plan
$98,000 Design of a Duffields Road upgrade
$41,700 to support Community Houses shire-wide
$66,377 Life Saving Victoria contribution for professional patrols on Surf Coast beaches
$24,740 Surf Coast Arts Trail
$148,600 Community Grants
$242,000 Solar and Energy Transition Program
$30,000 to create a Biodiversity Strategy

Budgeted result (Cash Surplus/Deficit): $1.7m deficit

This forecast deficit has been planned for in advance and will be accommodated via savings from our Future Cash Fund Reserve, set aside for this purpose.

The planned deficit is largely driven by an increasing investment in renewing Council’s growing and ageing asset base for the community.

Council’s 10-year financial plan also forecasts cash deficits in the following three financial years, until 2029-30, which will all be accommodated via the Future Cash Fund.

This trend will reverse in the latter stages of the 10-year financial plan and Council will return to delivering cash surpluses, as the cash available for allocation grows at a higher rate than the asset renewal allocation.

Borrowings: up to $6 million

Council is budgeting for up to $6 million in new borrowings, taking total borrowings to $11.9 million by the end of the financial year.

This new borrowing has been forecast as part of the funding strategy for the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Torquay.

Council’s debt level remains manageable and well within the local government prudential guidelines.

Debt is forecast to reduce back to $5.6 million by 2029-30.

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy:

Councils must collect the Victorian Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund Levy via rates notices.

Council passes this levy directly to the Victorian Government, in full, to fund emergency and volunteer services.

Hardship:

Council’s Hardship Policy is in place to support ratepayers experiencing financial pressures.

Those experiencing hardship are encouraged to reach out for a confidential discussion by calling 03 5261 0600.

For more information visit our payment help page.

Fees and charges:

All fees and charges have been listed in the draft budget for the community’s review.

Council has sought to minimise fee and charge increases wherever possible, but some areas have had larger increases to recoup the rising cost of delivering these services.

Fees of note with higher increases:

Place of Public Entertainment permits for commercial events – up between 25 per cent and 50 per cent, depending on size of event. (With these changes, the service will remain heavily subsidised based on benchmarking.)
Cat and dog registrations – up 8.9 per cent from $79 to $86 for a desexed animal and up 5.3 per cent from $237 to $249.50 for a non-desexed animal. These increases are due to a doubling in the Victorian Government’s mandatory Animal Levy.

Proposed new fees and charges of note:

Commercial hire of new Torquay hockey pitch – ranging from $56 to $90 depending on type of group and use of lights.
New categories for hire of sportsgrounds with use of lights – $59 or $79.50 depending on type of group.
Hire of Connewarre Oval transitioning from the Community Asset Committee to Council – hire fees from $44.50 to $79.50 depending on group type and use of lights.
New waste disposal fees specific to caravans, couches and lounge chairs, and solar panels.
New $15 fee for late pick up at our occasional care services.

How the community can make a submission:

Online: yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/budget26-27

Write to:

Chief Executive Officer
Surf Coast Shire Council
PO Box 350
Torquay Vic 3228

Submissions must be received by 10am on Monday 25 May 2026.

Anyone making a submission can request to present to Council at a hearing of submissions, which (if required) will take place online at 6pm on Tuesday 2 June 2026.

Those who would prefer to view a printed copy of the draft budget can find one at:

Anglesea Community House: 5 McMillan Street
Council office in Torquay: 1 Merrijig Drive
Lorne Visitor Information Centre: 15 Mountjoy Parade
Winchelsea Shire Hall: 28 Hesse Street

Community members can also call 5261 0600 to arrange a relevant section posted.

Key dates

29 April 2026 Draft 2026-27 Budget released for community feedback at 9am
25 May 2026 Submissions close at 10am
2 June 2026 Online hearing of submissions at 6pm (if required)
23 June 2026 Council to consider final 2026-27 Budget