Mayor’s Message - Friday 13 October 2023

The community now has an opportunity to provide feedback and input into the development of the City of Ballarat’s 2024/25 Budget following the opening of consultation this week.

The earlier engagement process will ensure that we are better informed of residents’ priorities within the context of the Council Plan 2021-2025 prior to the development of the budget.

Community feedback obtained during this period will help inform us of the priorities outlined in the budget.  

Learnings from previous rounds of budget engagement suggest that engaging with the community after a draft budget has been prepared tends to create frustration and disengagement from the community. This is due to many people thinking the budget has already been completed and there is minimal opportunity for change.  

So, undertaking a more comprehensive engagement at the beginning of the budget process will provide residents with an opportunity to voice their priorities for the budget prior to its development.

The 2024/25 budget engagement period began on October 9 and will close on October 27.  

Help us shape the budget. You can provide your feedback at mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au or in person, at the Customer Service Centre, 25 Armstrong Street South. The City of Ballarat Finance Team will be available to speak during the following times:

Online sessions are also available for those who cannot attend during business hours, via mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au  

We welcome your input into our next budget as it reflects an engaged and empowered community committed to achieving a better Ballarat.

- Mayor Cr Des Hudson