Council delivers meaningful budget with a focus on maintaining services and delivering for its community

Wellington Shire Council has released its 2025/26 Draft Budget, focusing on maintaining roads, essential services, and Council-owned assets while addressing cost-of-living pressures and finding internal savings.  

As Council enters the final year of its current Council Plan, the budget ensures ongoing delivery of essential services to the community while addressing financial challenges. Savings have been achieved through a management restructure following a recent organisational review.

Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Cr Scott Rossetti advised Councillors to support the removal of two senior management roles to strengthen long-term financial stability.

“By streamlining our structure, we’re ensuring Council remains financially sustainable while protecting the services our community relies on. We’re also investing in quality infrastructure and ensuring our people, places, and spaces are resilient in an evolving economic and environmental landscape. This budget sets us up to deliver on our next Council Plan and key actions while tightening our belt to safeguard services for the next five years,” Cr Rossetti said.

Across Victoria, councils are doing more with less as state funding declines. Wellington Shire faces additional challenges from a sharp increase in the State Government’s Fire Services Levy, now the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund which will see local ratepayers hit with hikes of up to 130% and an additional $5.5 million collected. None of this money stays within Wellington Shire, adding further strain to property owners and Council services.

Despite these challenges, The Middle of Everywhere continues to offer opportunities to live, work, play and invest. This year’s budget focuses on maintaining costs while delivering the infrastructure and services our community needs and expects.

Council has allocated $58.9 million to capital works, with $43.4 million funded from Council operations and $15.5 million from external grants and contributions. Roads remain a priority, with $24.8 million for road resealing and re-sheeting, and $5.9 million allocated to bridges and drainage.

Key projects include:

• Loch Sport Seagull Drive Boat Ramp renewal – $280,000

• Dargo Wonnangatta Road retaining wall rehabilitation – $600,000

• Denison Marshalls Road reconstruction – $800,000

• Meerlieu Bush Road reconstruction – $700,000

• Seaton Glenmaggie Road/Seymours Lane widening – $2.5 million

• Maffra Thomson Street reconstruction – $300,000

• Maffra Resource Recovery Facility construction – $500,000

• Yarram emergency landslip and culvert repairs – $3.5 million

• Valencia Creek Moroka Road slip rectification – $400,000

In addition to the Capital Works Program, Council will spend an additional $6.3 million for rural road maintenance, covering reseals, drainage, gravel roads resheeting, bridge and major culvert works and roadside vegetation management.

Council is investing over $300,000 to upgrade playgrounds across the Shire. Planned upgrades include Coongulla Recreation Reserve, Perry Court in Heyfield, Cameron Court/Dwyer Court in Maffra, Walpole Court in Yarram and Lake Guthridge outdoor fitness equipment in Sale.

Following an unsuccessful bid for state government funding for the Integrated Centre for Children and Families (Gibsons Road Hub) in Sale, funds for the upcoming financial year have been reallocated to smaller, high-priority road and drainage projects, including:

• George Street Drain Renewal, Maffra

• Outfall Drainage Renewal, Yarram

• Wonnangatta Road shoulder sealing

• Evelyn Street/Donald Street Renewal, Yarram

• Freestone Creek Road, Briagolong

• Seaton to Glenmaggie Road

• Moroka Road, Valencia Creek

• River Street, Heyfield

• Dean’s Road, Tinamba

• Ross Street, Sale

The Wedge Performing Arts Centre will receive a much-needed refurbishment to upgrade toilet facilities, improve accessibility, and enhance backstage areas to support community theatre groups and schools.

The $23 million Aqua Energy Leisure Centre redevelopment continues with works set to deliver a new 25m indoor pool featuring a revised depth profile and entry ramp, a zero-depth water play area and accessibility and modern facilities in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year.

The Yarram Pool will receive $560,000 to complete the upgrade of the new pumphouse and filtration system to improve water quality and energy efficiency.

Council is also preparing to expand its kerbside collection services to include Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO). Funding of $1.3 million has been allocated to supply and deliver a third FOGO ‘green’ bin in preparation for a 2026 rollout.

“With rising costs, a 3% rate cap imposed by the Victorian Government’s Essential Services Commission, and reduced state and federal grants, Council is carefully managing expenditure, prioritising local needs, and making tough decisions in a constrained funding environment,” Cr Rossetti concluded.

To share your thoughts on the Draft Budget, you have two options:

1. Write your submission directly into the online form. Visit: your.wellington.vic.gov.au/draft-budget-2025-26

2. Upload a file (voice recording, video, Word document, image, etc.) via the submission form. Submissions are open until Wednesday, 21 May 2025.

If you prefer to submit via hardcopy, please address your submission to the Chief Executive Officer at:

Wellington Shire Council

18 Desailly Street (PO Box 506)

Sale VIC 3850

Clearly marked as "DRAFT BUDGET SUBMISSION".

You can also submit in person:

• Attend an Unscheduled Council Meeting on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, starting at 5pm at the Council Chambers, Port of Sale (Wellington Centre), 70 Foster Street, Sale.

• Provide a submission to customer service at either 156 Grant St, Yarram or 18 Desailly St, Sale.

• Drop by your local library branch to write a submission; staff will collect submissions until the closing date.

We appreciate your participation in shaping the future of our community through your valuable feedback on the draft budget.

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