Have your say
Share your feedback on the Draft Budget 2026–27 and the proposed changes to the differential rating model within the Draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025–29. Both are key Council documents which have been shaped by the Council Plan 2025-2029.
To share your feedback select the 'Make your submissions' tab at the bottom of this page.
Draft budget 2026-27
In developing the draft budget 2026-27, Council has remained focused on maintaining and delivering high quality services and priority projects while identifying significant efficiencies to support a sustainable financial position.
With investment of $143.8 million towards the ongoing delivery of Council's services and a Capital Program of $66.3 million, the draft budget positions Council to deliver priority projects while remaining responsive to community expectations.
Our draft budget returns to an adjusted underlying surplus, which includes a borrowing of $20.8 million to support our investment in the Capital Program for asset renewal. This balanced approach enables Council to maintain long-term financial sustainability while meeting growing infrastructure demands.
Budget at a Glance
50% focused on renewal and upgrades to existing assets including:
- $16 million upgrading ageing assests, delivery of significant assets and land aqusitions
- $11.9 million to support operational capability, service efficiency and digital transformation
Spending on key capital works infrastructure projects includes:
- $23.4 million on roads.
- $645,000 on bridges.
- $1.2 million on footpaths and cycleways.
- $790,000 on drainage.
- $2.9 million on recreational, leisure and community facilities.
- $775,000 on parks, open space and streetscapes.
- $2.4 million to support Arts and Creative Industries, including continued investment in key community arts venues, Cardinia Cultural Centre and Hills Hub Art Space.
- $15.5 million to maintain safe and functional roads, drains and related assets, including fixing and maintaining roads and gravel footpaths by smoothing surfaces and filling holes.
- $2.9 million to enable community involvement in recreation activities and support the development and delivery of accessible recreation facilities and services.
- $13.9 million to keep parks and playgrounds safe and well maintained, including repairing and replacing playground equipment, ensuring adequate mulch coverage, clean footpaths and hard surfaced areas, maintain timber bridges, boardwalks and lookouts.
- $24.6 million to support efficient, safe and cost-effective waste and recycling services including a range of collection and processing services for garbage, recycling and food and green waste.
- $6.8 million allocated to law enforcement services, including parking, animal management and building and planning enforcement to support community safety and amenity.
- $2.6 million to support Council’s library services, providing access through the Pakenham and Emerald Libraries and a mobile library service.
- $6.3 million to support maternal child and health services that promote healthy development for young children and their families.
Updated Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-29
The update to the draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-29 reflects Council's proposed model of differential rating — the way different types of properties are charged rates — to make it simpler, fairer and more aligned with the purpose for which a property is used and its impact on council services.
Community Input
Through a deliberative engagement process a panel of ratepayers representing the different property types provided valuble input to inform Council's review of the current model.
The remit (or task) of the panel was to respond to the following question:
"Council is reviewing how rates are charged to the different property types in Cardinia Shire and wants to ensure the system is as fair as reasonably practicable. How can we best do this?"
An independent faciliator assisted the panel to consider how the rating system operates, weigh up evidence and trade-offs, and develop a recommendation to guide Council's decision-making.
The panel recommended that Council:
- Separates the commercial and industrial differential rate to reflect their impacts on council services or infrastructure
- Investigates urban farm land to better understand if land banking is occurring or if there is genuine farming still occurring, in an effort to incentivise developers while supporting genuine farming properties
- Decrease the farm rate
- Increase the urban vacant land rate.
The Update Explained
Council's proposed update reflects the panel's recommendations and administrative changes. It doesn’t change the total amount of rates the council collects (which is capped each year by the Victorian Government and set at 2.75% for 2026-27).
It changes how rates are fairly split between property types, taking into account service costs, benefits received, and the impact a property has on infrastructure, the community, and the environment.
The proposed differential rating model will:
- Minimise impact on residential properties
- Encourage the use of vacant land - Council wants to reduce long‑term vacant land, which can stall neighbourhood vibrancy and local economic activity
- Provide targeted relief to genuine farming properties
- Provide a clearer distinction between commercial and industrial uses based on their level of impact on council services.
Proposed Rating Categories
| Classification (Urban = Property within the Urban Growth Corridor) | Proposed differential as a % of the base rate | Purpose |
| Base Rate | 100% | This rate recognises the cost and level of benefit derived from the provision of council services for land:
|
| Urban Vacant Land Rate | 210% of the base rate | The rate aims to encourage development of residential land in the Urban Growth Corridor as zoned under the Cardinia Planning Scheme. |
| Vacant Land Rate | 200% of the base rate | This rate aims to encourage development of residential land outside the Urban Growth Corridor as zoned under the Cardinia Planning Scheme. |
| Urban Residential Rate | 107% of the base rate | This rate recognises the cost and level of benefit derived from the provision of council services given the greater and easier access properties in the Urban Growth Corridor have to services and infrastructure. |
| Commercial Rate | 120% of base rate | This rate recognises:
|
| Urban Commercial Rate | 130% of base rate | This rate recognises:
|
| Farm Rate | 65% of the base rate | This rate aims to:
|
| Urban Farm Rate | 85% of the base rate | This rate aims to:
|
| Urban Industrial Rate | 180% of the base rate | The rate recognises:
|
| Industrial Rate | 140% of the base rate | The rate recognises:
|
