Delivering for the community during tough times

Published on 01 October 2026

It might have been a challenging year financially, but Loddon Shire Council continues to deliver the services that matter to residents.

Council has adopted its 2025/26 Financial Statements and Performance Statement in principle, providing an overview of the organisation’s financial position and service delivery performance over the past financial year.

The statements show that Council recorded an operating deficit of $7.19 million in 2025/26, compared with a surplus of $8.63 million in the previous year.

The movement was mainly driven by three key factors. One-off capital grant income was $5.6 million lower than the previous year, while $4.9 million in flood recovery grants had been received in advance and recognised in the previous financial year. A further $6.7 million was spent on flood recovery works during the current year.

While the deficit result reflects a challenging operating environment that is heavily influenced by timing of grant funding and flood recovery expenditure, Council continues to maintain sufficient liquidity, no borrowings and the capacity to deliver services and infrastructure projects.

Total assets increased to $571.75 million, largely due to the revaluation of infrastructure and other Council-owned assets.

During the year, Council generated total income of $38.93 million and invested $9.5 million into capital works projects, including road renewals, building improvements and other infrastructure upgrades.

Flood recovery remained a major focus in 2025/26, with further works valued at up to $10.9 million continuing across the municipality. The works are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with further funding anticipated in 2026/27 to support this expenditure.

The Performance Statement highlighted several positive outcomes for the community.

Council maintained 99.99 per cent of sealed local roads in a good condition, processed more than 93 per cent of planning applications within the required timeframes and achieved a 100 per cent follow-up rate for critical food safety matters.

Community satisfaction with Council consultation and engagement also improved significantly, increasing to 61 out of 100.

Library membership remained steady, aquatic facilities continued to attract strong participation, and Maternal and Child Health services maintained high levels of engagement.

Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub said Council’s financial indicators demonstrated the organisation remained capable of meeting its obligations while continuing to invest in community infrastructure.

“While the operating result was impacted by factors largely outside Council's control, the organisation remains focused on maintaining essential services, managing infrastructure assets and responding to community needs,” he said.

“The report also reiterates the ongoing pressures facing rural councils, including rising operating costs, reliance on government funding, the cost of maintaining extensive infrastructure networks and the continuing impacts of flood recovery programs.

“Overall, the 2025/26 Financial and Performance Statements show that despite a challenging operating environment, Council continued to deliver essential services, maintain community infrastructure and invest in the long-term future of the municipality.”