Shire receives feedback on proposed municipal charge

MOORABOOL Shire Council has received feedback into a proposal for introducing a municipal charge into its rating structure.

The period for community consultation via the council’s Have Your Say platform closed on Tuesday 17 February.

Moorabool Shire Council’s chief executive officer Derek Madden said a report would be produced and presented to councillors.

“We had a good response to the Have Your Say with residents responding to the survey and/or providing feedback,” the council’s CEO said.

“A report based on the feedback will be prepared shortly to be presented at a council meeting in the coming months for councillors to consider next steps.”

A municipal charge does not change the total amount of rates collected; it changes how the total raised is shared across properties.

If a charge is introduced, it would result in a fixed fee applied to all properties to support administrative and operating costs of the council.

The remainder of rates would be calculated based on property valuations and an existing waste charge.

Rates are currently determined based on property valuations and a waste charge.

Under this proposed structure, some properties might see a decrease in rates while others might see an increase.

The council said in January that all input will be considered as part of its 2026-27 budget process.

As part of the consultation, the council prepared a range of resources, including a rating calculator and an explainer video, for residents to understand potential impact to them.

Such tools offered residents the opportunity to understand how a municipal charge worked and estimate their rates with and without the proposed charge.