Local Government Act 2020

A Council must prepare and adopt a budget for each financial year and the subsequent 3 financial years by—

30 June each year; or

any other date fixed by the Minister by notice published in the Government Gazette.

A Council must ensure that the budget gives effect to the Council Plan and contains the following—

financial statements in the form and containing the information required by the regulations;

a general description of the services and initiatives to be funded in the budget;

major initiatives identified by the Council as priorities in the Council Plan, to be undertaken during each financial year;

for services to be funded in the budget, the prescribed indicators and measures of service performance that are required to be reported against by this Act;

the total amount that the Council intends to raise by rates and charges;

a statement as to whether the rates will be raised by the application of a uniform rate or a differential rate;

a description of any fixed component of the rates, if applicable;

if the Council proposes to declare a uniform rate, the matters specified in section 160 of the Local Government Act 1989;

if the Council proposes to declare a differential rate for any land, the matters specified in section 161(2) of the Local Government Act 1989;

any other information prescribed by the regulations.

The Council must ensure that, if applicable, the budget also contains a statement—

that the Council intends to apply for a special Order to increase the Council's average rate cap for the financial year or any other financial year; or

that the Council has made an application to the ESC for a special Order and is waiting for the outcome of the application; or

that a special Order has been made in respect of the Council and specifying the average rate cap that applies for the financial year or any other financial year.