Status: Closed

Thank you for your interest and feedback during the Budget planning process. Council has now adopted the 2022/2023 Budget which builds on a sustainable, healthy and connected environment for a growing community.


The Budget was developed in line with the City of Greater Bendigo’s 10-year Financial Plan which supports the community vision and Council Plan (Mir wimbul) 2021-2025 and other key strategies, including the Climate Change and Environment Strategy and Healthy Greater Bendigo 2021-2025.

View the 2022/2023 Budget
Graph describing where every $100 of rates and charges goes. For every $100 of rates and charges, $30.72 goes to capital and major works; $12.13 goes to waste, recycling and environment; $3.29 goes to safe and healthy environments; $8.10 goes to recreatio

FAQs

This proposed Budget is being delivered in the second year of the Council Plan and Financial Plan.

Both plans and our new Community Vision were developed through the Imagine Greater Bendigo project which involved extensive community engagement and community feedback over nine months last year.

Community input was also invited during the early stages in the budget planning process in December 2021.

Residents were invited to submit community priorities in December 2021 via a submission and presentation to Council. This early engagement helped to inform Councillors during the draft Budget’s development. This is a new approach compared to previous years and the early engagement on community priorities will continue to be applied to help inform future Budgets.

Recurring themes based on community feedback during the Council Plan development and the Budget planning process included the importance of healthy liveable spaces and places, and for additional investment in walking, cycling and improvements to parks and open space.

On the right-hand toolbar (or below if viewing on mobile) you can find the indicative timeline, a link to further information including the draft Budget papers, and a map of proposed capital works. It is important to note this map may not include all capital works as some programs in the proposed Budget involve work at multiple sites.

  • $1.5M investment for a renewed Lake Weeroona Play Space
  • $1.8M for Stage 2 of the Ewing Park Precinct – a Learn to Ride Park next to the new skate park
  • $1.5M footpath program to further support walking and cycling infrastructure for active lifestyle opportunities
  • Bendigo Airport Terminal expansion, new administration building and the first stage of a new business park at the site ($9.9M funding secured from the City and the Victorian and Australian governments)
  • $6.1M investment in recreation, aquatic and open space facilities
  • The $152M operating Budget will continue to fund early years services, waste collection, street cleaning, maintenance of our fantastic parks, gardens and recreation facilities, environmental health, statutory planning, road maintenance, tourism and visitor services, Bendigo Art Gallery, The Capital and Ulumbarra theatres and much more.
  • The City owns and controls $1.99B in assets, which are discussed in more detail in the City’s Draft Asset Plan.
  • $14M for the renewal and construction of sealed and unsealed roads, including Axedale Kimbolton Road
  • $2.8M in drainage projects
  • $660,000 on bridges
  • $6.1M on recreation, aquatic and open space facilities
  • $1.9M footpath renewals
  • The City owns and controls $1.99B in assets, which are discussed in more detail in the City’s Draft Asset Plan.
  • 1.75 per cent increase to total City rate revenue, in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System (FGRS)
  • There have been some increases in residential valuations across the municipality however in line with the FGRS, this does not automatically increase your rates. Rates are set in comparison to everyone else in the municipality’s valuations (i.e. if everyone’s valuation increases)
  • If you would like to see how the rates system works, more information can be found at:

As in previous years, Council has not applied for a variation to the rate cap and will absorb increasing costs. Forecast inflation and increased construction costs are significantly higher than the rate cap amount. This limits revenue available to fund new projects and initiatives.

Due to landfill fees levied by the Environment Protection Authority increasing by 19 per cent, the general waste will increase by 10 per cent in the new financial year. For a property with a 140L waste bin, this equates to an extra $18 in the next financial year. The organics waste charge will increase by two per cent and recycling by 10 per cent. It should be noted that the City does not make a profit from waste services. This rise reflects the costs of providing the services and responding to external factors that are beyond the City’s control.

Budget submissions