What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Lockhart's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 2035 (adopted 23 June 2025) and a Delivery Program 2025-29 with an annual Operational Plan and budget. The dominant question of this council term is financial sustainability: the council has begun consulting its community on a proposed 44% cumulative special rate variation over 2027-28 and 2028-29, framed around what it calls 'maintaining our independence' as a stand-alone council.
The Community Strategic Plan 2035 is organised around four themes — Community ('a vibrant, connected community with opportunities for all'), Economy ('a diverse, thriving economy providing employment and growth'), Environment ('sustainable stewardship of our natural and built environments') and Leadership ('effective leadership that engages, collaborates, and delivers'). For each strategy the plan names the lead agency and the council's own role, using four categories: provide, collaborate, advocate or monitor. The council manages roads, sewer, waste, planning, libraries, pools, aged and community services across a 2,896 km² rural shire of about 3,500 people, and is a member of the REROC regional organisation of councils.
The adopted 2026-27 budget is consolidated income of $15.804M against expenses of $17.535M, an operating deficit of $1.731M (General Fund deficit $1.816M), with a capital program of $6.68M of which $3.90M is roads. Operating grants and contributions of $9.71M outweigh rates and annual charges of $4.62M, which is why the council's own-source revenue ratio sits well below the OLG benchmark. The council's Long Term Financial Plan and special-variation material describe an annual transport asset renewal gap of about $2.3M and forecast the General Fund unrestricted cash balance moving negative within two financial years without additional income or reduced expenditure.
- Lockhart Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2035 · Adopted 23 Jun 2025
- Lockhart Shire Council — Delivery Program 2025-29 and Operational Plan · Adopted 23 Jun 2025
- Lockhart Shire Council — Council Policies, Plans & Reports · Aug 2026
Underway now
Proposed special rate variation, 2027-28 and 2028-29
Community conversation endorsed 18 May 2026; would apply from 1 July 2027 if approvedCouncil has published information on a possible application to IPART for a permanent special rate variation of 44% cumulative — 20% of total rates income in 2027-28 and a further 20% in 2028-29. The council's stated reasons are a General Fund operating deficit, an annual transport asset renewal gap of about $2.3M, and a forecast that unrestricted cash would go negative within two financial years without action. It has committed to a four-stage process (identify the need, consult, review feedback and decide whether to apply, then implement), is preparing a Capacity to Pay report, and is targeting $200,000 of efficiency savings over the two years. No application had been lodged with or determined by IPART at the time of writing.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Proposed Special Rate Variation
Planned / committed
New Lockhart works depot and the 2026-27 roads program
2026-27 budget yearThe adopted 2026-27 capital program includes an $850,000 new works depot building at Lockhart, funded by a new external loan of the same amount, plus $3.90M of transport capital works: $1.30M for the Safer Roads project on the Henty/Pleasant Hills road, $0.74M on regional roads, $0.64M on rural sealed roads, $0.47M on rural unsealed roads and $0.45M of reseals. Smaller items include a $200,000 expansion at The Rock cemetery and an $80,000 shed and amenities block at The Rock waste management facility.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026-27 & Delivery Program 2026-30 Budget Estimates
Recently delivered
Community Strategic Plan 2035 and Delivery Program 2025-29
Adopted 23 June 2025 (Res 89/25)Following community engagement through 2024 and 2025, the council adopted a new ten-year Community Strategic Plan built on four themes — Community, Economy, Environment and Leadership — alongside a four-year Delivery Program 2025-29, a Long Term Financial Plan, Asset Management Strategy 2025-2029 and Workforce Management Plan 2025-29. The plan records the community's stated priorities as retaining schools, health and community services, improving digital and mobile connectivity, restoring fuel and essential services to the towns, unlocking land for housing, and keeping young people in the shire.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2035
Three-bin FOGO service and local composting facility
In place across the 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 charging yearsHouseholds and businesses inside the collection areas receive a weekly green FOGO bin plus fortnightly red general-waste and yellow recycling bins, all covered by one domestic waste management charge ($440 in 2024-25, $458 in 2025-26, $495 in 2026-27). The council states that FOGO material is composted at its own facility at Lockhart and the compost used in local parks, gardens and community projects, and that the shire was sending an estimated 125 tonnes of organic waste to landfill each year with landfill capacity projected to be exhausted by 2030 if nothing changed. Council also replaced the old annual kerbside pickup in the urban areas with two free tipping vouchers per rates account per year, and has reintroduced a booked annual bulky-waste collection that costs one voucher.
Source: Lockhart Shire Council — Food & Garden Organics (FOGO)