Knox Council’s Annual Budget 2025-26 is funding $122.4 million in services and facilities the community highlighted as the most important.
Mayor Lisa Cooper said this budget delivers on the first-year priorities in the Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan, also adopted on 23 June.
“It is significant for Knox as we launch our new plan for the next four years,” she said.
“We heard from over 1,100 people about what is important to you. We spent time with and listened to a representative community panel who helped us theme that feedback. This panel helped shape our new Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan and this budget.”
Highlights of the 2025-26 capital works program, totalling nearly $58 million (including nearly $16 million worth of projects carried forward from 2024-25), include:
$10.7 million on local roads and bridges.
$9.2 million to upgrade sporting pavilions, including Park Ridge Reserve, Wally Tew Reserve, Tormore Reserve and Carrington Park.
$4.8 million to improve footpaths and cycling paths.
$4.7 million to maintain Council buildings, early years facilities and community halls.
$4.5 million to improve sports fields and training facilities, including Marie Wallace Bayswater Oval.
$3.6 million to renew critical drainage infrastructure throughout the municipality.
$1.5 million for improvements at Wantirna Reserve, Carrington Park, Lewis Park, Kings Park, Gilbert Park and The Basin Triangle.
$1.4 million to upgrade car parks, including at Wantirna Reserve and Knox City Tennis Club.
$1.3 million to renew local playgrounds, including Bluett Reserve (Ferntree Gully) and Suffern Reserve (Bayswater).
Cr Cooper said the council was directing spending towards community priorities amid rising inflation in a rate-capped environment. Overall rates revenue will increase by three per cent in line with the Victorian Government’s rate cap.
“Average residential rates in Knox continue to be among the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne but the cumulative effects of 10 years of rate capping place Council’s budget under real pressure,” Cr Cooper said.
“Rising inflation has increased the cost of construction materials and many other essentials needed to provide services to benefit the community. This has been further exacerbated by cost shifting, where state and federal government funding has not kept up with the increasing cost of delivering services.
“We have worked hard to achieve operational savings over several years, with a further $2 million in savings identified for 2025-26.
“Council has retained the rate rebate of up to $100 for eligible pensioners, on top of the Victorian Government’s pensioner rebate.”
Rates notices will include the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy, which is collected by the council on behalf of the state government. The council is not responsible for setting the levy.
“Council supports the position of the Municipal Association of Victoria in opposing local government being a collector on behalf of the state government,” Cr Cooper said.
The council’s waste charges have reduced by $13.05 for the standard 80L rubbish bin and $17.65 for the larger 120L rubbish bin. This includes a 240L recycle bin, 240L food and garden bin, two hard waste collections and the green bundled waste service.
“Two years after introducing the weekly food and garden bin and fortnightly rubbish bin service, Knox residents are diverting 73 per cent of all waste from landfill, which is the third highest diversion rate in Victoria,” Cr Cooper said.
The council has brought forward consultation on next year’s budget and is seeking community feedback from 28 July to 24 August. Find out more at knox.vic.gov.au/HaveYourSay
