Budget supports community priorities
Council’s Annual Budget 2026-2027 invests $130.7 million in services and $54.6 million in capital works that our community told us are most important.
It delivers the second-year actions of our Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025–29, focusing on building resilience and improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life of our community.
Knox Mayor, Cr Paige Kennett said the budget carefully balances investment in community priorities with responsible financial management.
“In developing this budget, we carefully considered feedback from almost 600 community members about your needs, values and priorities,” she said. “This is in addition to the 1,100 community members who shared their thoughts to inform the development of our Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan. This year, we brought consultation forward, giving you the opportunity to shape priorities and influence the budget from the very start of the process.
“We have been guided by the changing needs of our community and, amid the cost-of-living crisis and in a financially constrained environment, focused funding on the services you’ve told us matter most,” Cr Kennett said.
Council has allocated $130.775 million towards the wide-ranging delivery of services to the Knox community.
“These services support the community across every stage of life — from families with newborns accessing maternal and child health services to older residents who rely on our meal delivery service to stay independent at home,” Cr Kennett said.
Council is also budgeting to undertake a capital works program of $54.609 million. Of this, $39.732 million is allocated for renewing community assets and $14.877 million for new, upgraded and expanded community assets. These works include:
- $20.3 million on renewing and improving local roads, bridges, footpaths, shared paths and cycleways
- $12.3 million to maintain Council buildings, community buildings, sports pavilions, sport and leisure precincts, early years facilities and civic facilities, including $3.6 million for a pavilion upgrade at Carrington Park, Knoxfield
- $10.3 million on new and upgraded playgrounds, sports fields, tennis courts and basketball facilities, sports lighting, cricket training facilities, including
- $2.5 million to renew the sports field at Carrington Park, Knoxfield,
- $1.2 million to renew tennis courts at Miller Park Reserve, Boronia, and
- $900,000 to renew the wooden fort regional playground and improve accessibility and surrounds at Marie Wallace Bayswater Park
- $3.2 million to maintain critical drainage and stormwater infrastructure throughout the municipality
The budget includes some new initiatives the community has said are important to them, including a winter shelter program, more Christmas decorations, Australia Day celebrations and an additional recycling collection over the Christmas/New Year period.
To support residents experiencing hardship, the emergency relief fund has been retained in 2026-27 and will now be increased to $150,000 to help Knox's not-for-profit community groups deliver urgent, essential relief and support services to residents.
This year’s overall average rates rise is 2.75%, consistent with the Victorian Government’s rate capping policy. Individual ratepayers may experience increases or decreases that differ from 2.75%, depending on their property’s value based on independent valuations. Knox’s residential rates are still among the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne.
Council is investing savings into maintaining the services and facilities that benefit residents, to deliver on the priorities that you told us were most important.
We will shortly commence the planning for our 2027-2028 annual plan and budget. This early engagement gives you the opportunity to help shape priorities from the start. Feedback will be open from 27 July to 23 August. You can keep up to date on this engagement by visiting Home | Knox City Council
View the Annual Budget 2026-2027
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