Budget 2025 - 2026

The Council has now adopted the City’s 2025/26 annual budget, with a clear focus on key priorities identified by the community.

With the City’s Vision being “Where environment, lifestyle and opportunity thrive”, this year’s budget enables delivery of a wide range of projects, activities and services that will continue to enhance, strengthen and support our whole community into the future, whilst still taking into account the current cost of living pressures.

Key highlights include:

Average rate increase of 6%
2% of total rate revenue to go into a New Sport & Recreation Facilities & Infrastructure Reserve (in addition to $1.07M of surplus funds from 2024/25)
Average 21% rate increase for holiday homes - this will ensure ongoing effective management, improve parity with commercial accommodation providers and offset the loss of fee income needed for compliance activities now registrations are managed by the State Government
$2M budgeted to operate Saltwater, which is scheduled to open this financial year
$1.3M for the Lower Vasse River, inclusive of $400K State Government funding, to deliver Stage 3 dredging works (with the possibility of Stage 4)
$50K for the Lower Vasse River aeration trial
$6.5M for the Dunsborough Lakes Sporting Pavilion
$1M for upgrade works at the GLC
$500K for design and initial works on a squash facility
$8.2M in parks, gardens and public open space reserves work, including $2.4M for further coastal stabilisation works, $523K for the playground renewal program and $627K for the continuation of the Dunsborough Non-Potable Water Network project
$2.2M for Dunsborough seawall refurbishment
$1.3M for renewal and upgrade works to public ablutions
$14.4M for improving roads
$4.6M for footpath and cycleway construction, including $956K for the progression of works on the Wadandi Track
$3M in various new and upgrade works at the Airport