Ararat Council approves record $15.8 million budget with second rate rise in eight years

A record $15.8 million for roads, reserves and public spaces - and a rate rise the council insists is among the smallest going around - has sailed through the Ararat Rural City Council chamber without a dissenting voice.

❓What happened: Deputy CEO Phuang Aud presented the 2026–2027 budget at the council’s May meeting, highlighting a record $15.8 million capital program and a 2.25 percent rate rise the council says sits half a percent below the state rate cap. 

The decision was unanimous and followed eight community engagement sessions. 

📝 On the agenda: The budget will be investing in roads, community services and public spaces. This includes: 

• Amenity upgrades at Moyston Rec Reserve.

• A new oval walking track at Pomonal supported by the Victorian Government’s Pomonal Council Support Fund for 2024 Bushfires.

• Continued delivery of more than $10 million on Buangor–Ben Nevis Road, jointly funded with the Federal government. 

• Community support grants and youth programs. 

👥What people said: Councillor Joyce said it was “one of only two rate rises in the past eight years” and pointed to 17 ongoing major projects, including $7 million for the Prestige Mill housing project, and $1.8 million toward gravel-to-seal road projects. 

🗣️: “So much work and consideration has gone into this budget,” councillorJoyce said. “[There is] strong value for ratepayers while continuing to invest responsibly in the future of our community.” 

Councillor Armstrong called the council "the envy of so many other councils across Victoria," citing a healthy internal culture that has been cultivated for many years with modest staff numbers.

🗣️: “It reflects the decisions we make as elected representatives on behalf of the residents and ratepayers of Ararat,” councillor Armstrong said. “And the consideration we give to how the numbers on paper impact the lives of people who work, live and play here.”