Gippsland › Latest news › Baw Baw Local News

Baw Baw Shire Council opens early submissions for 2025/26 draft budget to engage residents starting 28 January 2025

Baw Baw Shire Council opens 2025/26 Draft Budget submissions on January 28 via Baw Baw Connect, offering residents an earlier opportunity to shape priorities and investments for a growing community's future needs.

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

Baw Baw Shire Council is opening the community budget submission process for council's 2025/26 Draft Budget at the end of January this year, providing residents with more time and opportunity to have their say on council's investments and priorities for the upcoming financial year.

Baw Baw Shire 2025/26 Draft Budget submissions open January 28, inviting community feedback on future investments and priorities

Early budget consultation

In previous years, the community budget submission process at Baw Baw Shire has taken place in May, but this year we're opening consultation earlier so that our residents can help inform the budget from the very beginning of the process. This year, the community budget submission process will be open on council's online community engagement platform from:

• Tuesday 28 January
• Baw Baw Connect website

For the second year running, our community consultation and draft budget submission process will take place on Baw Baw Connect, offering enhanced flexibility and a more user-friendly interface for the public. Budget submissions may be made in the following ways:

• Online via Baw Baw Connect website
• In writing and posted to Baw Baw Shire Council, PO Box 304 Warragul 3820
• Via email to Budget.Submissions@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au

The one-off budget submission period for the community will take place from Tuesday 28 January to Sunday 16 February 2025. Simply jump online and complete the survey to provide us with your feedback to help shape the 2025/26 Draft Budget.

Review key plans

Following January's community budget submission process, further community consultation will take place in April which will allow residents the opportunity to review council's key documents including the Draft Budget 2025/26, the Council Plan 2021-2025 Annual Review, the Draft Rating and Revenue Plan and the Draft Long Term Financial Plan.

In 2025/26, Baw Baw Shire Council will continue to build on its plan, design and deliver approach, investing in important services and infrastructure to ensure a healthy and thriving community now, and into the future.

Have your say on the draft budget

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Councillor Danny Goss is encouraging the community to provide their feedback during January's budget submission process. "In previous years, Baw Baw Shire has run the community budget submission process in May but this year we are going out to the community earlier and want to hear from you."

"This is the first budget of our council term and will set out which long-term projects the council will commit to delivering over the term. Our community engagement is an opportunity for residents to share with us what their priorities are. We are keen to hear what matters to our community to ensure it delivers what our residents want and need."

"Our Shire has a population of more than 62,000 residents, which is projected to grow to nearly 88,000 by the year 2041, meaning it's crucial we are investing not only now, but into the future for Baw Baw Shire," Cr Goss said. More information on council's upcoming budget submission process is available at Baw Baw Connect website.

Pictures from Baw Baw shire Council Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com