Northern Grampians Shire residents can help influence council budget priorities for 2026/27 during a community consultation period in January.
Residents traditionally have an opportunity to provide feedback submissions to a draft budget, however, the organisation will adopt a new consultation model moving forward.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said council had started preparing the 2026/27 budget in accordance with the strategic direction set out in the 2025-29 Council Plan.
"For our next budget, we will implement a revised approach to public consultation," she said.
"The formal submission process will concentrate on the initiatives – referred to as tasks – that council may choose to fund through the budget, which will be accessible to the public.
"By introducing a more streamlined process, our community will be able to share feedback with us before we determine the budget.
"The new process will begin in mid-January, before the final budget allocation process has been done and I think this will result in a more genuine engagement process with our residents."
In January, council will release a list of year two Council Plan priorities.
"These will be individual tasks that councillors believe are appropriate and a logical 'next step' as we move forward in our four-year Council Plan journey," Cr Hyslop said.
"The tasks are derived from the already published Council Plan material and are endorsed by council to complete by the end of the current council term in 2029."
Council will present the tasks to the community for review on January 14, with feedback due by 4pm on January 28, 2026.
"Depending on the community feedback received, council may adjust the tasks to incorporate feedback, which will be at our discretion," she said.
"Once we have confirmed the tasks, council will align the 2026/27 budget to achieving these outcomes.
"This shift starts with deciding what council will deliver for the community, then allocating the necessary funding and resources. Rather than starting with the available budget and working backwards, we prioritise what matters most and commit resources accordingly.
"This secures concrete deliverables within the next 12 months."
Cr Hyslop said as previously reported, council was operating in a rate-capped environment, with its 2025-26 budget featuring a strong focus on long-term viability.
"Given the rising cost of materials and inflation, along with fewer funding opportunities from state and federal governments, we are in the midst of a period of cost analysis and consolidation," she said.
"We will continue to review ways to become more cost-efficient and effective to ensure we continue to maintain quality services and assets on behalf of our community, without compromising on safety."
People can click here for a copy of the endorsed council plan.
Council will provide further updates and information about the process following the Christmas-new year period
