Council support and initiatives

Through its 2025-26 budget adopted in June, our Council voted to freeze the average payment for farm land rates at 2024-25 levels.

Farm land rates in our shire will be reduced by a further 40 per cent thanks to a Victorian Government-funded rebate, announced on 4 July.

When you receive your 2025-26 rates notice, the amount owing will factor in this 40 per cent discount. (You will not need to apply to the state government for a reimbursement.)

The discount will be applied to rates and the municipal charge, but not the waste service charge.

Note: there will be a slight delay in issuing farm land rates notices as we calculate and apply the 40 per cent discount across all farm land properties.

Our Hardship Policy is available to all ratepayers.

In April 2025, our Council strengthened its hardship policy, adding more relief options (payment plans, deferments, interest waivers and even partial/full waivers of rates in genuine hardship cases.)

If you’re experiencing hardship, please contact us for a confidential discussion.

Our Council has publicly advocated for the abolishment of the Victorian Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund levy.

We believe it places an unfair added burden on all ratepayers, but especially those in the agricultural community.

We acknowledge the government’s announcement on 30 May that primary production land owners will pay a reduced amount in 2025-26 (equivalent to the previous Fire Services Property Levy).

However, it remains our position that the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund levy must be scrapped.

We will continue to advocate to the government in the hope of seeing this outcome before primary producers become subject to the full levy in 2026-27.

Our Business Support team is available at the Winchelsea Business Hub (in the shire hall) monthly on the third Monday of each month, to share drought and business support information.

Upcoming dates:

• 18 August
• 15 September
• 20 October

All access points in the Surf Coast Shire have been identified and reviewed to ensure they are operational.

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange a water permit and key for standpipe access.

We have participated in this group since October 2024, alongside representatives from other councils in the South West region, water authorities and support services.

The group meets monthly and serves as a valuable knowledge sharing forum.

It will continue until at least 31 October 2025.

Agriculture Victoria’s South-West Regional Drought Coordinator can be contacted via email at drought.coordinatorsw@agriculture.vic.gov.au.