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Latrobe City Council adopts 2025/26 budget and revenue plan following extensive community consultation and feedback

Latrobe City Council adopted its 2025/26 Budget and Revenue Plan, halving the rate increase, maintaining farmer discounts, and ensuring fair revenue distribution after community consultation and feedback.

By news@gippsland - 7th July 2025 - Back to News

Latrobe City Council adopted the 2025/26 Budget at its most recent Council meeting, following a community consultation process. Council also adopted the Revenue and Rating Plan which ensures the fair and equitable distribution of rates across property owners and outlines principles that are used in decision making for other revenue sources such as fees and charges.

Latrobe City Council adopted the 2025/26 Budget, halving rate increases and maintaining farmer discounts after community consultation

Farm rate support

The Farm Rate differential outlined in the Revenue and Rating Plan will remain the same as previous years. The Budget outlines the broad range of services provided by Council and details the funding that is required to deliver these services and maintain and improve community infrastructure.

Council made the decision to halve the allowable increase in municipal rates and charges (excluding waste services charges) proposing a 1.5 percent increase rather than the 3 percent maximum increase in rates permissible under the state government's Fair Go Rates System. Council will maintain support for farmers by continuing to offer eligible farmers a 25 percent discount on rates.

Budget feedback valued

Latrobe City Council Mayor, Councillor Dale Harriman thanked community members who took the time to make a Budget submission this year. "We received 90 Budget submissions across a range of projects and services. Community feedback is valuable and a crucial part of the future Budget planning process. We're in a cost-of-living crisis; while we may have been able to have a rate increase of three percent, 1.5 percent is as much as our ratepayers can afford."

The Budget includes a total capital works program of $87.3 million comprising $28 million in the 2025/26 program and $59.3 million of continuing multi year projects and other works from prior year Budgets. This has been achieved while maintaining a balanced cash budget, placing Council in a strong financial position to deliver on the aspirations outlined in our Council Plan over the four-year Council term," said the Mayor.

Infrastructure renewal boost

The Budget includes investment in renewing existing infrastructure of $28.9 million with $14.5 million of this being committed to the road network. In addition, $29.3 million will be spent on the continuation of the Regional Car Parks Fund including the completion of the Kay Street Traralgon car park and the commencement of the Commercial Road Morwell car park.

Other major projects include the flood recovery project at Traralgon Recreation Reserve $5.3 million, Multi-use Pavilion Gaskin Park $3.7 million, the upgrade of the Glengarry preschool $1.1 million and the new public toilet for Churchill $700,000.

Pictures from Latrobe City Council Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com