Like all other councils across Victoria, Yarra is facing financial challenges with rising cost pressures, rate capping and cost shifting, coupled with unprecedented growth and increasing pressure and demand on our services.

We must acknowledge that the costs of providing community services are increasing at a higher rate than both the Consumer Price Index and the Victorian Government’s rate cap, further depleting our reserves and challenging our ability to provide these services for future residents.

In 2026/27, general rates will increase by 2.75 %, in line with the rate cap implemented by the Victorian Government. This will help ensure Council can continue to provide quality services and infrastructure to our community now and into the future.

Waste is costing a lot more - our budget assumes it’s up by around 22%. On top of that, we’re dealing with other rising costs too, including required reforms, higher construction costs, and increases in things like insurance and utilities.

This budget does not include any changes to services and focuses on balancing today's pressures with tomorrow's needs.

Council is continuing to pay down the debt we already have, and are building capacity to fund major projects in the future.

By focusing on the basics: keeping our existing assets in good shape and investing where growth is happening. We’ve got around $2 billion in community assets to maintain, and a growing population to serve, so capital works and ongoing maintenance are central to this budget.

We’ll always look at all our options as our city and our community evolve. That includes whether to sell some assets and whether some programs, grants or parts of the capital works program are still the best use of ratepayer money. These are the kinds of trade-offs we consider to protect essential services and keep the budget sustainable.