By Oscar Parry
Moorabool ratepayers will need to wait to have their say on council’s draft 2025-26 budget, with councillors voting down a proposal to release it for community feedback.
At a special council meeting on Wednesday, May 14, a motion was raised calling for the council to put the draft budget on public display, inviting community input and feedback until 5pm on Thursday, June 5.
Five councillors, including mayor Paul Tatchell, voted against beginning the process of adopting the budget.
The draft budget included a proposed average rate rise of 3 per cent in line with the state government’s rates cap, however some councillors called for council to consider not increasing rates.
Councillors also raised concerns about the delay in the State Revenue Office providing council with property valuations which are used to calculate property rates, with chief executive Derek Madden confirming they had only been received at the beginning of the week.
Cr Tom Sullivan said this year’s budget process “is the poorest I’ve experienced in all the years I’ve been on council”.
“To me, [it] has been very disappointing with little substance for councillors to obtain a good understanding of the impact on their communities,” Cr Sullivan said.
“A zero rate increase at this time would be the appropriate response. I believe we would just have to pause … just for the time being.”
Cr Ally Munari raised concern about a rate rise when also considering the cost-of-living crisis and the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF).
“It’s been a huge week for our residents, and I would say that there’s a large population of our residents who haven’t cottoned on yet about this [ESVF],” Cr Munari said.
Cr Rod Ward voted in favour of releasing the budget for consultation and said he was “dismayed” that the discussion was around rates.
“We’re debating whether we send the budget out for comment or not. We have had ample opportunity to ask the CEO or … officers to prepare an alternate budget to go out for comment. But, we haven’t done it,” Cr Ward said.
“We will come back in six weeks and we will debate the rates then – after the we get the community’s feedback.”
Councillors will return to the chamber to discuss the draft budget before it is released for public consultation.
