Budget to face councillor scrutiny

MILDURA Rural City Council is expected to adopt its 2025-26 draft budget when councillors meeting on Monday night with an average rate increase of the maximum 3 per cent under the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System.

The budget would result in an operating surplus, after removing capital grants and other capital funding sources, of just $70,000 in the approaching financial year from a $157 million budget.

The draft budget includes just over $93 million in revenue from rates and charges, $41.49 million to be spent on capital works projects, $16.23 million for road projects, $5.87 million for buildings and building improvements, $8.71 million for drainage and $1.7 million for recreational, leisure and community facilities.

The draft budget was was released for public comment in May and while the the Budget Fact Sheet was downloaded 44 times, the draft budget downloaded 111 times and social media posts received 5294 views, just one formal submission was received to the draft budget.

In a report to be presented to councillors on Monday night, council corporate performance general manager Kate Henschke said council recognised the financial pressures the community was facing and council was not immune to similar cost pressures.

Ms Henschke said the council was focused on finding savings and efficiencies to minimise the financial pressure on ratepayers and would continue to review services, evaluate current operations and identify areas for improvement to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

She said the draft budget 2025-26 included more than $2 million of identified savings.

The budget includes five differential rates categories — residential differential (+0.9 per cent rate in dollar from 2024-25); dryland farm differential (-15.9 per cent); irrigated farm differential (+0.9 per cent); business differential (+8.6 per cent); cultural and recreation (+0.9 per cent) and Mildura City Heart special rate (-2.7 per cent).

The draft budget also authorises the chief executive officer to effect changes to service prices and charges throughout the year “where appropriate”.

The Victorian Government’s Emergency Services Volunteer Fund, which replaces the existing Fire Services Levy, will also be collected by council and will appear on rates notices.

Mayor Cr Helen Healy said the budget came at a time of political and economic uncertainty both in Australia and worldwide.

She said the council would undergo further reviews of service levels to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation as a whole in the coming 12 months.

“The 2025-26 budget is the result of a rigorous process and an exhaustive amount of work to ensure it meets the needs of our community and is financially responsible, and I think this budget achieves those objectives,” she said.