Budget

The Council Budget is an integral part of Council’s overall strategic planning framework. It focuses on delivering quality services to the community through a combination of existing programs, new initiatives and capital works.

The Council Budget is integrated with the Financial Plan, Long Term Infrastructure Plan and the Revenue and Rating Plan.

These documents detail how Council will utilise its financial resources over the coming budget year to translate the goals of the Council Plan and Community Vision into material outcomes for the benefit of everyone who lives, works, studies, and invests in Baw Baw Shire.

Prudent financial management and pragmatism in the face of economic and environmental challenges were the foundation on which the strategic documents have been developed.

They ensure that Council is well positioned to continue delivering services, programs, and projects to meet the needs of our rapidly growing community, while laying down the markers for healthy, thriving, and sustainable Baw Baw for years to come. 

Click here to download the Annual Budget 2023/24 in full.(PDF, 6MB)

Click here to download a printable fact sheet outlining the Council Budget 2023/24 key points(PDF, 3MB)


Budget Highlights

You've told us what's important to you and we've listened. Following consultation with the community, significant investment has been made in important local projects and infrastructure. You can view the list of funded community projects below, and download a printable summary here.(PDF, 1MB)

Community Budget Submissions

Council invited submissions on the Draft Annual Budget 2023/24 and key documents.

The documents were on display from 13 April 2023 to 7 May 2023.

Council received 83 submissions, which provided a range of feedback for Council to consider.

The main themes raised in the submissions included:

  • Sports and recreation reserves
  • Community infrastructure
  • Roads, footpaths and cycleways
  • Car parking
  • Future designs and feasibility studies
  • Environment 

Council approved a total of $460,000 in submissions for inclusion in the final 2023/24 Annual Budget, on the basis of their alignment with the Community Vision and Council Plan and being within the allocation of available Council funds. The projects funded include:

  • Shelter replacements at the Burke Street Netball Courts in Warragul
  • Investigations and planning for lighting upgrades at the Warragul North Tennis Courts
  • Signage improvements to improve pedestrian and vehicle movement in Williams Square, Warragul
  • A feasibility study into the design and implementation of a boardwalk through Alex Goudie Park in Drouin
  • Creation of a rock 'fence' at the Golden Whistler Reserve in Drouin
  • A feasibility study for the proposed Environmental and Kurnai Cultural & Visitors Centre at Bellbird Park
  • Fencing at the Warragul Gymnastics Club
  • Assessment of pedestrian movements along Neerim East Road
  • A feasibility study and investigation into the proposed Watershed Trail in Warragul
  • Planning, investigation and design of a footpath between Sutton Street and Bailey Drive along Copelands Road in Warragul
  • Planning, investigation and design for a trail between Crater Lake an the Erica-Thomson Rail Trail
  • Design and planning for new cricket nets at the Western Park Recreation Reserve in Warragul
  • Additional weed control along roadsides and remnant bushland
  • Scoping and design for three parallel car spaces in Beverley Street, Drouin East
  • Investigations and planning to review and design lighting upgrades for Oval Two at the Western Park Recreation Reserve in Warragul

Key Infrastructure Projects

Through an innovative plan, design, deliver approach, Council will deliver $58.06 million of projects across the financial year, including the completion of a series of multi-year strategic projects that will provide a vital boost to residents and community facilities across the Shire.

Click here to learn more about the Long Term Infrastructure Plan

The list below features just a portion of the projects being delivered over the coming 12 months. Click the link above for even more.

Key strategic projects

  • $7.70 million for Warragul Leisure Centre Indoor Stadium
  • $4.20 million for the Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct - Stage One
  • $3.65 million for Stage One of the Rokeby - Noojee Trail
  • $1.95 million for the implementation of the Rollo Street Masterplan
  • $1.57 million for the Bellbird Park East Multi-use Pavilion
  • $1.44 million for the Baxter Park Pavilion Redevelopment

Infrastructure renewal

  • $16.80 million for road projects across the Shire, including upgrades to Weerong Road, Drouin and Saleyards Road, Trafalgar and 200,000 square metres of resealing works on 15 local roads. 
  • $3.16 million for streetscape upgrade works in Drouin and Warragul.
  • $2.45 million for bridge related projects in Yarragon.
  • $1.24 million towards buildings and community facility projects, improving accessibility and amenities across throughout Baw Baw.
  • $2.4 million for recreation and open space projects, featuring the renewal of the senior soccer pitch at Bellbird Park, Drouin and playground renewals in Longwarry, Drouin, and Noojee.

Council Plan Annual Review

The Council Plan represents a four-year road map for the Council and provides a guide to our strategic direction, objectives, and key strategies for the period 2021 - 2025 and the role that Council plays in achieving the Community Vision.

Each year the Council Plan is reviewed and updated as part of the budget process to reflect the progress made, initiatives implemented by Council, and to set the organisation’s strategic agenda for the next 12 months as we strive towards delivering a sustainable, healthy, and thriving Shire.

Click here to learn more about the new initiatives that will deliver on the goals in the Council Plan and click here for a printable summary.(PDF, 2MB)


More Information 

To learn more about the Budget, including information about operating expenses, rates and more, please select from the drop down menus below. 

Operating Budget

The 2023/24 Annual Budget represents income of $129.58 million, expenditure of $101.86 million, resulting in a surplus of $27.72 million. 

The $28.06 million surplus is then converted into an adjusted underlying result that better reflects Council’s level of financial stability. This result excludes grants received for capital purposes which are non-recurrent and capital contributions from others sources. The adjusted underlying result for 2023/24 is an underlying deficit of $3.78 million. 

This underlying deficit reflects a financial position consistent with the current rate capped environment of 3.5 per cent, and the realities of delivering services and infrastructure for a rapidly growing Shire population. 

Rates and Valuations

Click here to download the Baw Baw Shire Revenue & Rating Plan 2023-24(PDF, 8MB)

The rate increase for 2023-24 is capped at 3.5 per cent in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System.

Rates are calculated as a percentage of the Capital Improved Value. 

The 3.5 per cent increase applies to the total rates revenue received by Council, not to increases to individual ratepayers. Total revenue from rates and charges for 2023-24 is $73.85 million (including supplementary valuations and interest on rates and charges).  

For context, the cap on rate increases is less than half the CPI increase (inflation) over the twelve months to December 2022. This disparity illustrates just how challenging the current environment is for Councils to deliver services and infrastructure while operating in a rate-capped environment.

For further details please download the Rates and Valuations fact sheet.(PDF, 1MB)

Fees and charges

Whether it’s at the petrol pump, in the grocery store, on the building site or in the office, inflationary pressures are having a real impact. Council isn’t immune to these pressures.  

In the current rate-capped environment, amidst surging inflation, rates revenue alone is insufficient to deliver the services and infrastructure that Council is required to deliver.  

Regardless, Council has kept its average annual fees and charges adjustments to 6%, well below the CPI increase of 8.0% in the 12 months to December 2022.  

For further details please refer to the Rates and Valuations fact sheet. 

Financial Plan

Click here to download the Financial Plan(PDF, 1MB)

The Financial Plan is developed to align Council's financial capacity with long-term service objectives. Financial planning uses forecasts to provide insight into future financial capacity so that strategies can be developed to achieve long-term sustainability considering Council’s service objectives and financial challenges.

The Financial Plan is designed to provide the following objectives:

  • Establish a prudent and sound financial framework, combining and integrating financial strategies as expressed in the Council Plan;

  • Provide an assessment of the resources (financial and non-financial) required to accomplish the objectives and strategies included in the Council Plan (non-financial resources are assumed to include human resources) and Council’s asset base;

  • Establish a financial framework against which Council’s strategies, policies and financial performance can be measured;

  • Ensure that Council complies with sound financial management principles, as required by the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) and plan for the long-term financial sustainability of Council.

  • Allow Council to meet the objectives of the Act to promote the social, economic and environmental viability of municipal district and its role in maintaining the viability of Council to ensure that resources are managed in a responsible manner.


The 2023/24 Budget is for the year 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 and is prepared in accordance with the Local Government Act 1989 and Local Government (Planning and Reporting) Regulations.

The budget also includes the following financial statements:

  • Comprehensive Income Statement
  • Balance Sheet
  • Statement of Changes in Equity
  • Statement of Cash Flows
  • Statement of Capital Works

These statements have been prepared for the year ending 30 June 2024 in accordance with the Act and Regulations, and are consistent with the annual financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards.