Council
2 July, 2026
Moyne Budget eyes sweeping improvement
MOYNE Shire’s 2026/27 Budget will include $950,000 to create female-friendly facilities at the DC Farran Oval in Mortlake to support the growing number of women playing sport in the community.
A total of $17.1 million has been allocated for the local road and bridge network, a significant investment in critical infrastructure used by the whole community.
The Budget was adopted at Tuesday’s Ordinary Meeting of Council following a period of consultation for the Draft Budget, with 13 submissions received.
Moyne Shire Council deputy mayor councillor Myra Murrihy said council was investing $250,000 toward the DC Farran Oval project, in addition to the $500,000 State Government commitment and $200,000 from the Mortlake Recreation Reserve Committee from fundraising and philanthropic donations.
“The new change facility will promote gender equity, improve safety and accessibility, and remove sport participation barriers for women and girls in the Mortlake district,” she said.
“We are also allocating $400,000 to Stage One of the Koroit Youth Space Activation, to build a pump track that will benefit this growth area’s young people,” she said.
“We thank the Moyne community for their submissions on the Draft Budget and look forward to working with them to deliver important projects.”
As a result of a budget submission, council allocated $20,000 to the Koroit Bowls Club to develop a proposal for a Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV) grant for installation of a roof over the main bowls green and the replacement of the green surface.
“We have also allocated $30,000 to the Hawkesdale and District Development Action Committee to upgrade local streetlighting following their submission,” she said.
The Budget includes $70.4 million operating expenditure, with a $28.8 million capital works investment in the important community assets and projects which service the community.
In total $22.9 million will be directed towards asset renewal to ensure council’s existing $744 million asset base is adequately renewed and upgraded.
The Budget adopts a 2.75 per cent increase in the general property rate, in line with the State Government’s rate capping policy. Despite the increase, Moyne Shire retains the lowest average rate per property assessment for large rural councils in Victoria.
The 2026/27 Budget results in an average increase of around $0.97 per week for ratepayers.
Other funded projects include $100,000 to develop a Koroit township drainage strategy, $800,000 to replace the amenities block at the Gardens Caravan Park in Port Fairy, and $40,000 towards an upgrade design for the Yambuk public toilet and surrounds.
Works totalling $3.1 million will be spent this coming year to replace the Gipps Street Bridge in Port Fairy, a major project that will see works commence in 2027.
Council has allocated $30,000 in the 2026/27 Budget to develop a Positive Ageing Strategy and associated action plan.
The initiative focuses on exploring opportunities to enhance access to positive ageing initiatives in line with the Council Plan and the Age-Friendly Victoria declaration.
Cr Murrihy said the Budget was responsible and focused on service delivery.
“Costs are rising for councils, just as they are for households,” she said.
“We continue to face significant increases in costs such as construction materials, insurance and energy costs.
“We are committed to maintaining the level of service our community expects and supporting our infrastructure, while ensuring we deliver the best possible value for our ratepayers.”
Councillor Karen Foster acknowledged a Budget which ticks every box was not possible, but said she was pleased with the overall balance.
“I think as with every Budget, at this time of year, we come together to acknowledge there has been some difficult decisions, plenty of robust discussion and lots of competing priorities,” she said.
“I think we can all agree no Budget can fund everything that everyone would like to see, and I don’t think any of us think that this is a perfect Budget, however it does represent a responsible and considered plan that balances the needs of what I think is a very geographically large and diverse shire.
“It balances that with our obligation to remain financially sustainable.
“I really appreciate the fact that it invests in the services that many of our residents rely on every day, and those include our libraries and services for some of our most vulnerable.”