As the East Gippsland Shire starts to prepare the Annual Budget 2025/26, it is calling on community members to share their preferences on how funding for services should be prioritised.
Using an online ‘Fund It’ slider tool, community members are invited to have their say on the council services they value most.
Council delivers a wide range of services across a huge shire, including libraries, emergency management, roads, waste and recycling, sports and recreation, health and local laws.
Using the tool, people can indicate how they would allocate council funds to council services.
“We are a big shire with a small number of ratepayers and the income we generate from rates covers less than half what we must spend to deliver the services our communities need,” East Gippsland Shire Council mayor John White said.
“By understanding our community’s changing needs and desires, we ensure our services are responsive and reach those who need them most.”
Using the slider tool, people can indicate the way they’d like their money spent.
For example, some people might choose to spend more on roads, while others might prioritise sport and recreation facilities or maintenance at local parks and gardens.
Council is seeking feedback early to help inform the development of the 2025-26 Annual Budget and will also seek further feedback in May on the proposed Budget informed by this engagement.
“We must work within our means to balance what our communities want with what we can afford to deliver,” Cr White said.
“This tool will help us to understand what our communities want most so we can prioritise that in our budget.”
This first round of Draft Budget community engagement is open from February 1-21.
