Introduction

Our Community Plan, 4-year budget and Long-term Financial Plan 2021-2031 guide how we spend council funds.

Before we prepare a first draft of the 2024-25 Council Budget, we want to hear from you, the community.

Every year, we review our progress to see if we are meeting our community's needs and delivering on our Clever and Creative Vision for Greater Geelong.

The last few years of rising costs along with a cap on council's income from rates means that we have to be even more careful about how we allocate funds as we work to meet the community's needs.

You are invited to share your views on what you would like us to prioritise in the 2024-25 Council budget. Please click on the link below to share your views.

How we currently distribute council funds

The City uses your rates to pay for core services that provide everyday value – like recycling and waste collections, looking after our road network, providing child and family services, maintaining parks and gardens, hosting major events, caring for our trees and environment and much more.

This year we may potentially have a small part of the 2024-25 Budget that could be allocated to new projects. We’re asking you to help us understand your priorities for that part of the Budget.

It’s important to keep in mind that the City has to fund all of the services to some degree, but you can help us understand which you believe should be of greater priority.

The dollar value listed against each service below represents how each $100 of rates is currently spent.

Share your views

In this first round of engagement, there are two ways you can share your views:

1. Share your views on service areas you think should be made a priority
2. Make an Initiatives Submissions

Share your views on prioritising service areas

In this activity you have a fixed amount of $100 to spend and a lot of different areas you could spend that money on.

Below you will be able to choose from 11 council services areas.Your feedback will tell us what services you particularly value and help us decide where any new project money should be directed.

All of this feedback will be reviewed when the draft Council budget is prepared, alongside other considerations, such as our funding commitments for services, infrastructure, and ongoing projects.

For services you think the City should make a priority, use the 'slider' under the service areas to allocate up to $20 per service area until you reach your $100 limit. Then click submit.

Submissions

Do you or your community group have a new project you're passionate about and would like Council to consider? Please click through to complete an Initiatives Submission form. Submissions close 17 December 2023.

Please provide an overview using this submission form, detailed descriptions and commentary about your initiative are not required at this point.

PLEASE NOTE projects that were previously submitted for consideration in last year's budget process, and did not progress, do not need to be resubmitted this year. These proposed projects are already included for consideration in this 2024-25 budget.