Council invites submissions to the 2026/2027 Budget

Published on 28 October 2025

Mount Alexander Shire Council is calling on residents and local organisations to contribute their ideas and priorities for the upcoming 2026/2027 Budget.

The annual budget helps drive the new Council Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan by making sure there are resources available to achieve Council and community goals over the next four years.

The community submission process is now open, offering a chance for community members to propose projects or funding needs to be considered in the 2026/2027 Budget. Whether it's a new initiative or support for an existing program, this is an opportunity to influence what gets funded.

Council’s current $56 million budget supports the delivery of over 100 services. These range from maintaining roads, bridges and public spaces, to waste and animal management, maternal and child health, aged care, events, and emergency response and recovery.

Mount Alexander Shire Mayor, Cr Rosie Annear, emphasised the importance of community input in shaping Council’s budget decisions.

“As a small, regional Council, we stretch every dollar to deliver for our community,” said Mayor Annear.

“With rising costs and increasing responsibilities and community needs, it’s becoming more and more challenging to meet expectations with limited resources.

“That’s why your input is so valuable. It helps us to understand what matters most and where to focus our efforts. We’re not able to do it all, so we have to focus on doing the best we can with what we have.

“Alongside this, we will continue to advocate to other levels of government for more equitable and sustainable funding for councils, so that we are able to do more within our communities and say ‘Yes’ more often to great ideas and projects, and to further support community needs and priorities.”

Have your say

Residents are encouraged to provide input into the 2026/2027 Budget development on Council’s engagement platform, Shape Mount Alexander. To do so, visit www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

Alternatively, Budget submissions can be mailed. Address your submission to: 2026/2027 Draft Budget, PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450.

Submissions close on Monday 27 November.

All community input received will be collated and provided to Councillors for their review and consideration during the budget process.

Councillors will consider the draft budget for adoption at a Meeting of Council in June 2026.

For more information, contact Customer Service on 5471 1700 or send an email to info@mountalexander@vic.gov.au.