Council adopts Banyule Plan 2025–2029 and Budget 2025–2026
Published on 27 June 2025
Banyule Council has handed down its 2025–2026 Budget along with the four-year Banyule Plan, with a focus on responsible financial management and significant investments in capital works and customer service initiatives.
The Budget aligns with the long-term goals of Council set out in the Banyule Plan, which was shaped by our community through the most extensive engagement process ever undertaken by Council.
Banyule Plan 2025–2029
The Banyule Plan sets our strategic direction and priorities for the next four years and focuses on:
- Financial sustainability – sound financial management that supports us to deliver value for money services and projects, while paying down debt.
- Environmental action – increasing our overall tree canopy by 30% and reaching zero emissions by 2028.
- Supporting local businesses to create a thriving economic environment.
- Advocating for community needs – including securing funding for a West Heidelberg Integrated Services Hub and getting better local project outcomes from the North East Link Project for Banyule.
- Improving our community assets and projects
- Health and wellbeing – by providing opportunities for people to be active and supporting respectful communities. This includes promoting First Nations inclusion, preventing family and gender-based violence and a commitment to maintain our Rainbow Tick accreditation.
- Housing and homelessness – increasing housing in the right areas and support for those experiencing homelessness.
Banyule Budget 2025-26
Banyule Council focusing on financial sustainability while maintaining core services for Banyule’s growing population – collecting rubbish, looking after roads, parks and sports grounds, and support to people of all ages.
$71.27 million for capital works projects
Council is investing $71.27 million to build a better Banyule through a balanced capital works program that has been guided by extensive community feedback. More than 80% of the capital works budget is set aside to renew and upgrade existing assets. Highlights of the budget include:
- $9.55 million for our parks, gardens and playgrounds
- $2.50 million for the Olympic Park pavilion
- $2.0 million to complete Watsonia Town Square
- $1.80 million to revitalise the Olympic Leisure Centre
Other community facilities and spaces will receive a boost with $3.45 million (including a government grant) to redevelop Shelley Park Pavilion, $1.8 million for works at Olympic Leisure Centre, including establishing a new 30-hour a week library service; and $30,000 for the Bell Street Mall Masterplan.
Environmental sustainability remains a priority with $1.88 million to electrify WaterMarc aquatic and office precinct and $561,000 for delivering initiatives like the Climate Action Program. We’re also ramping up Banyule’s Urban Forest Strategy, which has the goal of 30% canopy cover in every suburb by 2050.
We’re also investing $11.14 million in the initiatives budget, including funding to continue Council’s digital transformation and improve customer experience.
On the night, Council adopted the following strategic documents: