Each year, Council develops an annual budget that outlines how we will fund the delivery of our projects, programmes and more than 100 different services to the Stonnington community – from roads, open spaces, waste and animal management to sports facilities, child health and early education. The provision of these services is a big part of what makes Stonnington a great place to live, work and play.

The Local Government Act 2020 requires each council to prepare a Financial Plan covering a minimum period of 10 years following each Council election. The primary purpose of a financial plan is to provide a 10-year projection of Council's financial situation, including cash flow, capital works, and human resources. It outlines how Council plans to achieve its community vision and Council Plan objectives within a sustainable financial framework.

The draft Budget and Financial Plan has been developed with a strong focus on addressing our community’s most urgent needs while ensuring long-term financial sustainability remains a top priority.

This year early consultation on the Budget was undertaken as part of the 2025-29 Council Plan engagement. Key community priorities were:

In response to these themes, we have prioritised our spending in these areas.

The full draft Budget was released in May 2025 for 3 weeks (21 days) offering additional opportunities for engagement and feedback from our community, 109 contributions were received as part of this engagement.

Some key pieces of feedback from the draft Budget submission process were:

That family-friendly events within Central Park are supported by the Malvern East residents, as well as the broader community as important ways to build community connection and local activation.

That the proposed fee increases for Stonnington-operated childcare facilities must balance the affordability for families and users:

That adequate investment be directed to Prahran Market to support its ongoing relevance and appeal as a prominent destination.

That the proposed fee increases to roadside dining permits should balance the impact to the hospitality sector.

In response to this community feedback, the final Adopted Budget was updated to reflect:

Christmas carols at Central Park be reinstated and funded through a reduction to the Sunset Sounds series.

That the increment proposed for childcare fees is phased over 2 intervals, fees will increase by 4% from August 2025 and a further 3% will apply from 1 January 2026.

That future redevelopment investment in the Prahran Market will be subject of further consideration, analysis and feasibility.

That Council’s roadside dining fees reflect the high-demand nature of Stonnington’s key dining precincts whilst ensuring sufficient funding for ongoing amenity and maintenance.

Thank-you to every resident who contributed to shaping this budget. Your feedback has helped us balance immediate needs with future priorities.

Like many councils in Victoria, Stonnington is facing growing financial pressures to maintain important assets and services like roads, footpaths, sports fields, playgrounds and community facilities, the insurance environment continues to escalate, and Council must continue to invest in future-proof strategies to keep our technology systems modern and our data safe. While this year’s budget is tight, we've managed to make it work.

It’s not without sacrifice though. As you read this draft Budget, you’ll notice we’re proposing temporary cuts across some events and programmes, which will be on pause until further funding becomes available.

What this highlights is that we are at a critical turning point, and we need to advance a community conversation about Funding Stonnington Tomorrow, which will be the subject of formal engagement and future Council decisions later in the year.

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