FAQs
- How your ideas benefit the community
- Any costs associated with your ideas and impacts to other services / activities, including the resources or capacity needed.
- If your ideas align with Council’s plan, vision, mission and policies and if it is the role of Council to deliver on those ideas.
What happens with my comments or feedback?
All comments and feedback will be assessed and responded to as part of the Council report on the adoption of the Budget and 10-year Financial Plan. All submitters will have the opportunity to present to a Submitters hearing scheduled for 14 June 2022.
Please provide your email if you wish to participate in the submitters hearing.
What is the Annual Budget?
The proposed Annual Budget outlines the services and initiatives that Council will undertake in the 2022/23 financial year. The Budget includes detailed information about the rates and charges to be levied, the capital works program to be undertaken, where Council allocates its financial resources and other financial information within the 2022/23 financial year.
What is the Long-Term Financial Plan?
Council's financial decisions are guided by the financial management framework outlined in our 10-Year-Long-Term Financial Plan. This Financial Plan outlines a series of financial strategies and assumptions and identifies Council's current and projected capacity to continue its work to deliver high-quality services, facilities and infrastructure in a financially sustainable manner.
From the deliberative community panel process, we have gathered recommendations and considerations that will inform the development of our Long-Term Financial Plan.
What is the Revenue and Rating Plan?
Council must prepare and adopt a Revenue and Rating Plan for a period of at least 4 financial years.
Council provides a number of services and facilities to our local community, and in doing so, must collect revenue to cover the cost of providing these services and facilities.
The Revenue and Rating Plan provides a medium-term plan for how Council will generate income to deliver on the Council Plan, program and services and capital works commitments over a 4-year period. It defines the revenue and rating ‘envelope’ within which Council proposes to operate.
Revenue
We rely on our rates revenue to fund the services, infrastructure projects and facilities we provide to the community.Our revenue comes predominantly from rates, user fees and charges, and some government grant funding. Our rates revenue represents 66% of Council's income. When our rates revenue is combined with waste service charges, it represents over 75% of Council’s income.
Councils are required to comply with the State Government ‘Fair Go Rates System'. This means that our rate increases are capped, with increases required to be in line with the rate cap set by the Minister for Local Government each year. The rate cap for 2021/22 is 1.5% which is in line with forecast inflation (CPI). Rate capping has brought a renewed focus to Council's long-term financial sustainability.
What happens to my ideas?
Once we receive your input, we will refer it to Council officers who will evaluate:
Officers will then consider these ideas in the development of the draft documents, and report back by preparing a summary of your feedback (to be shared on Your Say Manningham).