Read answers to frequently asked questions or ask your own question below
The ambitious agenda delivered by this budget will be funded by a rate increase of 3.5% which is accordance with the Victorian Government’s rate cap.
The waste service charge incorporating kerbside collection and recycling will increase 2.2% driven by an increase in the State Government Landfill levy, as well as recycling processing, hard waste collection and disposal, and green waste collection costs.
A rate increase is needed to:
- fund ongoing service delivery (balanced with greater service demands)
- fund renewal of infrastructure and community assets
- cope with growth in the population of Bayside residents (10.3% in the last 10 years)
- cope with cost shifting from the State Government
The decision to increase rates is not taken lightly however this revenue is essential for Council’s continued investment in community infrastructure and to provide services for our community.
Council rates and charges also fund a range of critical community services including:
- maternal and child health
- aged and disability care
- waste and recycling services
- public health inspections.
Any ratepayers who are facing financial hardship can contact our Revenue Services Team to discuss their payment options.
Any ratepayers who are facing financial hardship can contact our Revenue Services Team to discuss their payment options.
The Annual Budget 2023-24 includes the following new initiatives:
- Public Toilet Strategy Review
- Content Discovery Engine
- GIS Strategy
- Bayside Lake Management Plan
- Bayside Open Space Strategy Review
- Hampton Hub Negotiations
- Innovate RAP Implementation
- Conservation Management Plans Historical Buildings
- Billilla Activation
- Municipal-wide flood modelling
- Park Improvement and Habitat Linkage Plan
- Coastal and Marine Management Plan
- Biodiversity Action Plan
There are no significant deferrals of plans, programs or capital works in this year’s proposed budget.
The Annual Budget 2023-24 is informed by community priorities articulated in the Bayside 2050 Community Vision and Council Plan 2021-2025. It funds the delivery of projects and programs that Council has committed to deliver, and more than 100 different services to our community.
The proposed Annual Budget 2023-24 was endorsed by Council on 18 April 2023 and community consultation opened the following day (19 April 2023). Consultation is scheduled to close on 9 May 2023 to allow time for feedback to be collated and considered, and amendments made to the proposed Budget, if required. You can provide your feedback via a survey or written statement, or by post to Council during the consultation period.
Following the close of community engagement on 9 May 2023, community and stakeholder feedback will be considered and amendments made to the proposed Budget, if required
The opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed Budget will be widely communicated to the community throughout the consultation period via the Council website and Have Your Say engagement website, as well as digital advertising to reach community members who do not subscribe to Council communications channels. Find out more about how we’re engaging with the community on the budget.
Council will consider a report on community engagement on the Budget on 6 June 2023 and adopting a proposed Annual Budget 2023-24 at its meeting on 27 June 2023. The agenda for this meeting will be available to view here when published.
Interested community members will also have an opportunity to request to be heard at the Council meeting on 27 June 2023 and speak to Council at the meeting or provide a written statement which will be published in the meeting agenda.
Under the Local Government Act 2020, Council must adopt an annual budget by the 30 June 2023.
The surplus represents the residual funds from all revenue sources after funding operating services.
The proposed 2023-24 budget surplus is forecast to be higher than average due to one-off capital items as well as capital grants and contributions.
The underlying surplus is consistent with Council’s long-term average and is required to fund the capital program.If you’d like to receive updates, please click the blue ‘subscribe’ button above.
If you’d like to ask a question or need more information about the proposed Annual Budget, please submit a question below. Please allow up to two business days for a response. You can also search and review previous questions and answers.
This space is not for the provision of feedback or to express your opinion. Please provide your feedback via the survey or upload a statement.
Questions about other current projects must be submitted through those project pages, which can be accessed via the Have Your Say homepage. To ensure easy access to information, we may delete unrelated, offensive or abusive statements.
