Thank you for your interest and participation in our Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) engagement process.

You can access the full suite of final Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) documents on our Council Plan and Budget webpage.

If you have any questions about the Council Plan and Budget (Year 4), please contact us.

Looking forward to next year’s Council Plan and Budget

Soon we will be turning our attention to planning for the next Council Plan and Budget. This is an exciting time because it is the first year of a new four-year cycle.

A new cycle allows us to craft a new look and feel for the documents and revise the vision and strategic direction to ensure it continues to reflect the wants and needs of our community and councillors. It also provides an opportunity to select and fund a whole new raft of projects, initiatives and services.

We can’t wait to work with you to develop this next plan. Click 'follow' at the top of this page to receive an alert to your inbox when information is available.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback to us on the draft Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) documents, including via our online feedback form, neighbourhood conversation events or by writing to us. Altogether we heard from 382 people and groups. Here is a summary of what you told us:

• Feedback on the proposed changes to local rates was mixed, with almost half of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposal, and 35 per cent disagreeing or strongly disagreeing. Of those who disagreed, a small proportion thought the proposed increase should be higher.
• Over 70 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the proposed differential rates for derelict and vacant land and inactivated retail land. Of those who disagreed, the key reasons were factors outside landowners’ control and a belief that the changes will not achieve positive or desired outcomes.
• The key topics raised by the community as general feedback included:
  • sustainability and climate change
  • more efficient focus on core services
  • improving streets and laneways
  • affordable housing
  • recreation and parks.

For all details and to read the full Engagement Report here.

Click on the tabs below to find out about our engagement on the draft Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) as well as proposed changes to local rates which took place from 18 April - 13 May 2024.

The Council Plan sets out the long-term vision for City of Port Phillip. It ensures that our key strategies, services, projects, and initiatives align with our community's priorities. It also addresses changing community expectations and needs, plans for population growth, and waste management.

Each year we review our Council Plan and create an annual Budget. The draft Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) documents will be open for community feedback from 18 April until 13 May 2024.

Key measures in our draft 2024/25 Budget include:

• a proposed average rate increase of 2.75 per cent, within the rates cap and below inflation. As the 2023/24 Budget’s 2.8 per cent average rate rise was lower than the rates cap, this Budget’s proposed rise will be calculated off this lower figure
• a 2.72 per cent rise in the default waste charge to $203.60, which follows rising waste costs being experienced by all councils
• efficiency savings of $1.5 million, providing for a total of $6.4 million in permanent savings to be delivered over this Council’s four-year term
• project investment of $133 million to maintain, grow and improve services and assets (including over $44.9 million for land acquisition to provide more public open space)
• Council-funded pensioner rates rebate increasing 4.8 per cent to $220
• continuing business support offered under the Economic Recovery Package until June 2025
• an extra $40,000 for food relief
• most fees and charges increasing 3.65 per cent, 0.25 per cent above forecast inflation. Some will be higher and some lower to reflect reasonable user pays charges.

Scroll through this page to read about two proposed changes to rates.

Each financial year, the Minister for Local Government sets a ‘rate cap’, which is the maximum amount councils are allowed to raise their rates for that year.

We are proposing to increase rates by 2.75 per cent in 2024/25. This is in line with the rate cap, is lower than the increase from 2023/24 and is less than forecast inflation.

It is important to note that the rate cap applies to the percentage increase in a council’s average general rate income. It does not apply to each property owner's rates notice.

At a Council meeting on 17 April 2024, councillors considered this proposed rate change, and decided to ask the community for feedback.

We are considering increasing rates for certain land types which have a negative impact on the amenity of Port Phillip and that are not consistent with our Council Plan objectives.

Council currently charges different levels of rates for residential, commercial and industrial land types. The proposed changes include adding three additional categories, including:

• derelict land
• unactivated retail land
• vacant land.

These new categories will be charged proportionally higher rates than other land types. Under this proposal, the rates for derelict land and unactivated retail land would be 400 per cent (or four times) higher than residential rates; and rates for vacant land would be 300 per cent (or three times) higher than residential rates.

These changes have been recommended to improve the local area’s vibrancy, amenity, and safety through disincentivising leaving land unused. It is also expected to promote more equitable rates distribution outcomes.

The proposed changes will not affect the total rates revenue raised each year, instead they will inform how rates are distributed between the different categories of land.

At a Council meeting on 17 April 2024, councillors considered this proposed rate change, and decided to ask the community for feedback.

Complete our online feedback form to tell us what you think of the draft Council Plan and Budget (Year 4), as well as proposed changes to local rates.

Before you start, make sure you have viewed the draft Council Plan and Budget (Year 4) documents, as well as the information about the proposed changes to local rates presented on this page.

Click 'join' below to register your details, or 'login' to begin the online feedback form.