Moorabool Shire Council has seen significant growth in recent years and our capital program has been developed to meet community infrastructure needs now and into the future. The proposed Capital Improvement Program for 2026/27 is $33.164 million (includes $11.206 million in works carried forward from 2025/26). Of this total, $12.077 million relates to new works, $15.872 million relates to the renewal of assets, and $5.215 million is for the upgrade of assets. Some of the key projects proposed as part of the 2026/27 Capital Program include:
· Bacchus Marsh Indoor Sports Facilities, Stage 2 Aquatic Infrastructure ($2.000 million)
· Reseal Program ($1.805 million)
· Ballan-Meredith Road, Morrisons - Rip/resheet/reseal (and widen) ($1.296 million)
· Spargo Creek Road, Spargo Creek - Reconstruction (widen) ($0.886 million)
· Delivery of CCTV, Fencing, Gates and Signage ($0.750 million)
· MARC Grandstand Stadium Seating ($0.675 million)
· Glenmore Road , Mount Wallace - Rip/resheet/reseal (and widen) ($0.602 million)
· Elaine-Mount Mercer Road, Elaine - Rip/resheet/ reseal ($0.536 million)
· White Avenue Recreation Reserve, Bacchus Marsh - Playground renewal ($0.414 million)
For the proposed 2026/27 annual budget, rate increases have been capped at 2.75% in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System.
The Waste Management Service Charge will increase from $113.00 to $144.00, and the overall Waste Collection Charge will increase from $253.00 to $262.00. The State Landfill Levy will increase from $79.00 to $82.00, and the optional Kerbside Green Waste service will increase from $99.00 to $103.00 for 2026/27.
As part of the proposed 2026/27 annual budget, Council is proposing a package of subsidised waste services for the 2026/27 financial year to help residents safely and affordably dispose of waste.
These services follow earlier Council decisions and investigations into waste services and respond to strong community interest — particularly support for residents who are elderly or unable to manage bulky waste.
The proposed subsidised services include:
· Hard waste drop-off at Council transfer stations – Up to 2 × 1m³ per household per year, at no charge
· Green waste drop-off at Council transfer stations – One month per year, at no charge
· Mattress drop-off at Council transfer stations – 50% discount for one month per year
· Targeted kerbside hard waste collection – For elderly or unable residents, up to 2m³ per household, capped at 500 properties
The cost of these subsidised services are currently included in the waste service charge for 2026/27. If they were removed form the proposed 26/27 annual budget:
For serviced properties, the total waste charge would:
· Decrease from $488 (with subsidised services included) to $465 (without subsidised services)
· This represents a increase of $23 for 2026/27, or around 5%, attributable to the subsidised services.
For non-serviced properties, the total waste charge would:
· Decrease from $226 (with subsidised services included) to $211 (without subsidised services) for 2026/27.
Council is seeking community feedback on whether these subsidised waste services should be included in the final 2026/27 Budget, and whether the level of service and cost represents a fair balance.
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