Council's Annual Business Plans set out our key directions and projects for the coming year, what these projects are aiming to achieve, their cost, and how they will advance the overall strategic direction for our district.

Preparation for the 2023-24 financial year commenced in January 2023, as staff assessed the ongoing costs for current services, investigated new projects, and Council opened their Community Support Funding applications to the public.

• Operational budgets for reoccurring services and functions of Council
• Capital projects
• Community Support Funding

Each financial year, Council allocated funds to support local initiatives conducted by non-profit community groups in developing community service projects, community events, social welfare and other community purposes. The community are invited to submit requests for community support funding and events to be considered as part of the budget process.

While Council does not have the financial capacity to fund all budget applications, it aims to provide an opportunity for the community to submit requests for consideration through a fair and transparent process by Council.

Submissions for the 2023-24 financial year opened at the beginning of February and closed on Friday 17 March 2023.

The development of this plan commenced in January 2023 and incorporated internal meetings, budget workshops, and community engagement activities, enabling us to be able to outline our goals, strategies, and priorities for the upcoming financial year within this document.

We thank the community for input during our two community surveys that were distributed late January and early February. The results provided a valuable insight into the community’s sentiment regarding Council’s activities, and what the public would like to see prioritised in the upcoming budget. To view the survey results, please click here.

Council invited the community to read through the draft Annual Business Plan, wanting to hear from as many community members as possible and work together to ensure that Council’s direction for the next 12 months is beneficial for all.

Public consultation closed 5pm Wednesday 7 June 2023, and a report containing all submissions on the Draft Annual Business Plan 2023-24 was presented at the June Council meeting. The endorsed Annual Business Plan and Summary document is available to view below.