In Summary
- Greater Shepparton City Council has released the Draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025–2029 for community feedback.
- The Plan outlines how rates, fees and charges will be distributed and managed across the municipality over the next four years.
- Initial community feedback helped shape the draft, and Council is now seeking further input to finalise the document.
- Feedback is open until midnight Friday 16 May 2025, via the Shaping Greater Shepparton website.
At its April Council Meeting, Council endorsed the Draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-2029 and released the document for community consultation from today, Monday 28 April, until Friday 16 May 2025 to gather feedback on the plan.
A Revenue and Rating Plan is developed every four years, to determine the most appropriate and affordable revenue and rating approach for the municipality. The services and infrastructure which Council provides to its community are essential to the development, growth, sustainability and future of the region, and rates provide a significant source of funding to enable this continued growth within the municipality.
The Revenue and Rating Plan outlines how rates will be distributed amongst ratepayers; includes details in relation to payment options, rebates, interest and financial hardship; and addresses other sources of revenue including user fees and charges, grants and contributions.
In compiling the document, a session was held with the Community Panel in November 2024, and a survey was made available on Council’s Shaping Greater Shepp website in March this year, to gather community feedback. The survey gathered community sentiment on the fairness and equity of the current system, if new differential rates should be introduced or the municipal charge removed, and how user fees should be levied. This feedback was compiled and considered by officers when drafting the plan.
Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, thanked the community for providing their feedback in the initial phase of consultation, encouraging them to now read the draft document and share their thoughts with Council.
“The first round of community consultation was extremely important in ensuring the voices of the community, and in particular rate payers, could be accounted for when developing the draft document,” he said.
“The Revenue and Rating Plan is an important document for Council. It determines how rate revenue can be distributed in the fairest and most equitable way across properties within the municipality, and how fees and charges can be determined.
“Now that we are through this phase and the draft document has been developed, we want to hear from residents once again to ensure the document addresses their ideas, thoughts and concerns. I encourage everyone to have a read of the draft document and provide their feedback.”
Feedback is open from now until midnight on Friday 16 May 2025. The results from this consultation will be provided to Council before the Plan is finalised and presented for adoption at the June 2025 Council Meeting.
Read the draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-2029 and have your say by tapping here.
To find out more or to speak to someone from Council, phone 5832 9700 or email council@shepparton.vic.gov.au
