Council has listened to our community’s needs and priorities in developing a new Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-29, which shapes our draft budget for 2025-26.

We now have four draft Plans that are available for the Knox community for questions and feedback by midnight Monday 9 June 2025.

Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan - Themes

Based on research and engagement, six key themes were developed that highlight, what we, as a community are going to focus on to achieve our Community Vision.

Theme 1: Enhancing community connection to vital services and resources: Our community can access important local services and resources through Council’s delivery, advocacy, and partnerships.

Theme 2: Embracing connection, inclusion and diversity: Our diverse and connected community is strengthened by creating opportunities to actively participate, connect and learn.

Theme 3: Caring for and enhancing our environment: Our environment is greener, healthier and sustainable through Council’s environmental protection and enhancement, working in collaboration with our community.

Theme 4: Leading, listening and governing responsibly: Our community feels empowered, heard, and has trust in Council through responsible governance, proactive communication and engagement, and transparent decision making.

Theme 5 Being a strong voice for safety: Our community feels safe, respected and supported in public spaces and at home through Council’s delivery, advocacy and partnerships.

Theme 6: Planning our future city: Our neighbourhoods, housing and infrastructure meet the needs of our changing community through effective planning, delivery and advocacy.

Budget priorities

The proposed budget invests $122.4 million in services and facilities, focusing on our community’s priorities.

Highlights of the 2025-26 capital works program, totaling nearly $58 million (including nearly $16 million worth of projects carried forward from 2024-25), include:

  • $10.7 million on local roads and bridges
  • $9.2 million to upgrade sporting pavilions, including Park Ridge Reserve, Wally Tew Reserve, Tormore Reserve and Carrington Park
  • $4.8 million to improve footpaths and cycling paths
  • $4.7 million to maintain Council buildings, early years facilities and community halls
  • $4.5 million to improve sports fields and training facilities, including Marie Wallace Bayswater Oval
  • $3.6 million to renew critical drainage infrastructure throughout the municipality
  • $1.5 million for improvements at Wantirna Reserve, Carrington Park, Lewis Park, Kings Park, Gilbert Park and The Basin Triangle
  • $1.4 million to upgrade car parks, including at Wantirna Reserve and Knox City Tennis Club
  • $1.3 million to renew local playgrounds, including Bluett Reserve (Ferntree Gully) and Suffern Reserve (Bayswater)

Overall rates revenue will rise by an average of 3% in line with the Victorian Government’s rate cap. Rate increases (or decreases) experienced by individual ratepayers may differ from the 3% depending on the value of their property based on independent valuations.

Council has retained the rate rebate of up to $100 for eligible pensioners, on top of the Victorian Government’s pensioner rebate.

Previous engagement

Community consultation helped guide the Council’s priorities over the next four years. We heard from over 1,100 people about what is important to you. We spent time with and listened to a community panel, a representative group of residents who helped shape our new Council and Health and Wellbeing Plan and this budget. You can read more about this process on the Our Knox main page.

A specific session of the community panel was held in November 2024 to provide input to Council’s 2025-26 budget.

The panel was asked to:

  • review the budget allocation across our 24 community services using what the community said should be priorities for Council
  • make recommendations to increase spending in the services that are highest priority
  • identify opportunities to reduce spending to balance recommendations for increased spending
  • provide input to specific ideas that Council could consider as part of its budget

Have your say

All questions and feedback received will be provided to Councillors for consideration prior to the adoption of the suite of documents on Monday 23 June 2025.

You can submit questions and feedback in a number of ways:

In writing

Deliver to:

Attention: Strategy and Transformation

Re: Our Knox

Knox City Council Civic Centre

511 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South 3152

or Email: OurKnox@knox.vic.gov.au

On the phone

Call Council on 9298 8000 and ask to speak to the community engagement team.

Online - Provide your feedback below.

Feedback closes on Monday 9 June