At last Tuesday night’s May 19 meeting, Indigo Shire Council endorsed its draft budget 2026/2027 following a 5:2 vote of councillors.
Councillors encouraged residents to read the draft budget papers and have their say before the documents are formally adopted at the June meeting.
Mayor Sophie Price said the draft budget reflects clear and consistent feedback from the community, alongside the financial realities facing all councils.
“Our community has told us what matters most, and this budget responds directly to that,” the mayor said.
“Through our engagement earlier this year, we heard a strong call for continued investment in roads, infrastructure maintenance, and essential services - and that’s exactly where this budget is focused.”
Between November 2025 and January 2026, 245 residents provided feedback through council’s engagement platform, helping shape the priorities for the year ahead.
“The message was clear. Roads remain the number one infrastructure priority, with three quarters of respondents saying they would allocate additional funding to road improvements,” Mayor Price said.
“We also saw strong support for emergency management and maintaining the infrastructure we already have, rather than building new assets.”
The draft budget 2026/2027 maintains all current council services and proposes a 2.75% rate increase in line with the State Government cap, alongside a capital works program of approximately $8 million.
An investment of $350,000 has been allowed towards Rutherglen’s Barkly Park Pavilion upgrade, $327,000 for lighting upgrades at Chiltern Recreation Reserve and $60,000 each for the Old Chiltern Library and Rutherglen Maternal Health Centre (subject to approval of grant funding).
Other key investments include: • $3.2 million for road maintenance and upgrades • $1.6 million for caravan park upgrades as part of adopted masterplans • $350,000 for drainage renewal and upgrades • $250,000 for bridge renewal • $164,000 for footpaths and cycleways (including a new link in Yackandandah, subject to approval of grant funding) • $50,000 to protect the Burke Museum collection • $50,000 for a Community Infrastructure Needs Assessment.
Deputy mayor Jane Dowsley and Cr Roberta Horne voted against the draft budget.
Mayor Price said the budget had been developed in a challenging financial environment. “Like councils across Victoria, we are balancing rising costs, ageing infrastructure and rate capping, which limits our ability to increase revenue,” she said.
