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 Whittlesea'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.
The numbers
- Average rate per property (2024–25)
- $1,899General rates plus the municipal charge, divided by all property assessments (homes and businesses). The Victorian median is $1,937.
- Adjusted underlying result (2024–25)
- 6.6% surplusThe operating result without capital grants and contributions, as a share of that revenue. The Victorian median is 0.56%.
- Borrowings
- 3.4% of rates in 2024–25The Victorian median is 13.2%. The 2026–27 budget plans $28.2 million of new borrowings, part of the funding for its capital works.
- 2026–27 budget
- $116.6 million capital works; $353 million operating budgetCapital works include continuing the regional sports precinct in Mernda, completing the West Wollert Community Centre, and starting the Derby Meadows Preschool and Children's Centre in Epping (council budget page).
| Measure (2024–25) | Whittlesea | Victorian median |
|---|---|---|
| 6.6% | 0.56% | |
| Current assets ÷ current liabilities (short-term liquidity) | 2.83× | 2.17× |
| Unrestricted cash ÷ current liabilities (free cash) | −1.87× | 0.26× |
| Loans and borrowings ÷ rates | 3.4% | 13.2% |
| Loan repayments ÷ rates | 0.74% | 1.4% |
| Non-current liabilities ÷ own-source revenue | 3.8% | 16.7% |
| Asset renewal and upgrade ÷ depreciation | 57.8% | 94.9% |
| Rates ÷ adjusted underlying revenue (reliance on rates) | 66.5% | 57.8% |
| Rates ÷ property values | 0.27% | 0.28% |
| Expenses per property assessment | $3,063 | $4,100 |
| Average rate per property assessment | $1,899 | $1,937 |
Whittlesea City 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, growth, assets and services; the LGPRF groups Whittlesea with the 'Interface' councils on Melbourne's fringe. The 'free cash' measure can be negative: it subtracts restricted cash, as the LGPRF defines it, from cash and cash equivalents only. The council's annual report explains its own results. The 2025–26 figures are due in about November 2026.
Sources — check it yourself
- Local Government Victoria — LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (XLSX, Nov 2025 release, CC BY 4.0) · 2024–25
- DataVic — Local Government Performance Reporting (dataset and licence) · 2024–25
- Victorian Government — Know Your Council comparison dashboard · Sep 2026
- City of Whittlesea — Adopted Budget 2026–27 (PDF; §4.2.3 borrowings, §4.5 capital works) · 2026–27
- City of Whittlesea — Budget 2026–27 · Sep 2026
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.