Surf Coast Shire (VIC) Council budget and finances

Budget & finances

Every Victorian council reports the same set of financial measures to the state each year, under the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF). The state doesn't set pass marks for these measures. So we show Surf Coast's figure for 2024–25 next to the median of all Victorian councils. The median is the middle value: half of councils are above it and half below. The median is a point of reference, not a target.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English

Operating result (surplus / deficit): Income minus expenses for the year's normal operations.
Average residential rate: The typical yearly general-rates bill for a home in the area.

See the full explainer, with formulas →

The numbers

Average rate per property (2024–25): $2,314General rates plus the municipal charge, divided by all property assessments (homes and businesses). The Victorian median is $1,937.
Adjusted underlying result (2024–25): 5.0% deficitThe operating result without capital grants and contributions, as a share of that revenue. The Victorian median is a 0.56% surplus.
Loans and borrowings (2024–25): 15.6% of ratesThe Victorian median is 13.2%. The 2026–27 budget plans new borrowings of up to $6 million in December 2026 to complete the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre. Interest-bearing liabilities are budgeted at $11.9 million at 30 June 2027, up from a forecast $8.2 million at 30 June 2026 (budget section 3.2).
2026–27 capital works: $43.01 million$21.18 million of new works plus $21.83 million carried over from 2025–26, including completion of the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre at the end of 2026. It includes a $20.1 million investment in asset renewal.
2025–26 results (council release, Sep 2026): $68.8 million of capital works; operating surplus $31.7 millionThe council says capital spending was above the $47.1 million budget, mainly because construction of the aquatic centre moved ahead of schedule. It says the surplus is not a cash windfall: it largely reflects the timing of government grants for committed projects and $8 million of assets handed over by developers. Cash and investments were $61 million at 30 June 2026, down from $108.3 million a year earlier.Read the council's release →

Measure (2024–25)	Surf Coast	Victorian median
	−5.0%	0.56%
Current assets ÷ current liabilities (short-term liquidity)	1.94×	2.17×
Unrestricted cash ÷ current liabilities (free cash)	−1.60×	0.26×
Loans and borrowings ÷ rates	15.6%	13.2%
Loan repayments ÷ rates	3.6%	1.4%
Non-current liabilities ÷ own-source revenue	31.6%	16.7%
Asset renewal and upgrade ÷ depreciation	93.7%	94.9%
Rates ÷ adjusted underlying revenue (reliance on rates)	66.2%	57.8%
Rates ÷ property values	0.19%	0.28%
Expenses per property assessment	$4,368	$4,100
Average rate per property assessment	$2,314	$1,937

Surf Coast Shire Council, LGPRF financial measures, 2024–25, next to the median of the 79 Victorian councils reporting each measure. Source: Local Government Victoria, LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (Nov 2025 release), CC BY 4.0. The median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation.

The LGPRF has no official benchmarks, and Local Government Victoria says its data shouldn't be used for simplistic league tables. So we don't mark any figure as a pass or a fail, and we don't rank councils. The Victorian median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation, taken across the Victorian councils that report each measure in the 2024–25 data set. A figure above or below the median isn't good or bad in itself. Councils differ in size, assets and services. Surf Coast is in the LGPRF's 'Large Shire' group, and the council's annual report explains its own results. The 2025–26 LGPRF figures are due in about November 2026.

Sources — check it yourself

Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.