Shire lowers two rate differentials in final budget

BY JAMES TAYLOR

THE Surf Coast Shire has temporarily reduced rates in two categories in its final 2025-26 Budget and 2025-29 Revenue and Rating Plan in an attempt to ease the financial burden on drought-affected farmers and commercial/industrial ratepayers.

Councillors adopted the final version of both documents at their meeting on Tuesday this week, following consideration of community feedback.

Under the changes, the Farm Rate Land differential will be reduced from 75 per cent to 64 per cent for 2025-26, which will effectively freeze the average rates for farm land at 2024-25 levels.

The Commercial/Industrial Rate Land differential will also be reduced from 190 per cent to 165 per cent for 2025-26.

Shire mayor Mike Bodsworth said the changes were about recognising the challenging economic landscape being faced by farmers and
other businesses.

“Farmers have had an extremely difficult year due to the drought, and freezing rates for farm land at 2024-25 levels is one step we can take to ease financial pressure.

“We also felt it was important to acknowledge that the drought has had flow-on impacts to other businesses in the shire, who were already feeling the effects of wider cost of living pressures.

“Adjusting the rating differential for commercial and industrial ratepayers is a way we can help in the short term.”

Since the release of the draft budget, the shire’s forecast income for 2025-26 has increased by $125,000 thanks to higher than expected Victorian Government grants
commission funding.

Councillors voted to allocate this funding toward additional resourcing in civil operations, to help maintain assets such as roads and footpaths to a high standard; and put an extra $10,000 to support community houses, increasing the annual allocation per community house from $6,000 to $8,000.

The final budget forecasts an operating result (Unallocated Cash Surplus) of $2.1 million. The shire says this surplus will be essential in helping fund the renewal of roads, buildings and other assets as they decline over the next 10 years.

The capital works program is valued at $52.65 million and takes into account existing multi-year projects and new projects for 2025-26. This figure includes projects funded with the assistance of the state and federal governments such as the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Torquay.

New capital works projects for 2025-26 include:

• A major irrigation and drainage upgrade to the oval at Spring Creek Recreation Reserve, Torquay ($2.55 million)
• Upgrade of Gladman Street, Winchelsea to become a sealed road ($757,064)
• Unsealed road renewals on Bambra-Aireys Inlet Road ($386,000), Eagle Rock Parade in Aireys Inlet ($97,000) and Pettavel Road in Freshwater Creek ($152,000), and
• Renewal of Cape Otway Road from Dysons Lane to Parish Lane, near Moriac ($200,000).