funding · Cabonne Council
Cabonne puts draft budget and long-term plans on public exhibition
Residents will have 28 days to comment on Cabonne Council’s draft 2026-27 budget, fees and charges, and longer-term planning documents before they come back to council.
Cabonne Council has approved public exhibition of its draft budget and core planning documents for the next financial year, opening a 28-day window for residents to review and comment before final adoption.
At its 28 April meeting in Molong, council endorsed exhibition of the revised Delivery Program 2025-2029, the Operational Plan 2026-27 including the Budget and Fees and Charges, and the Resourcing Strategy 2026-2036. The minutes also show council noted information in the Future Ready Cabonne: Financial Sustainability Plan.
The package covers council priorities, spending plans, fees and longer-term financial, asset and service planning. For ratepayers and residents, this is the main chance to look at proposed budget settings and submit feedback before the documents return to council.
Councillors also placed several related policies on exhibition for 28 days, including the draft Asset Management Policy, the Rates and Charges Hardship Assistance Strategic Policy, and the Debt Recovery and Management Strategic Policy.
In the same meeting, council formally started a review of its rating system. The review is to examine rating categories, the mix of ad valorem and base rates, and how the rating burden is distributed across ratepayer classes, with findings to be reported back in time to consider a new farming subcategory for the 2027-28 rating year.
Council separately noted a report on the community's capacity to pay and asked for a final updated report after any decision on a potential rating restructure and any Special Rate Variation application to IPART.
The exhibition period is the next immediate step on the draft plans and policies. The minutes state a further report on the integrated planning and reporting documents will be presented to council after the 28-day exhibition period.
Reference minutes
Source: Cabonne Council ordinary meeting minutes, 28 April 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Cabonne Council approved 28-day public exhibition of the revised Delivery Program 2025-2029.
- Council approved exhibition of the Operational Plan 2026-27, including the Budget and Fees and Charges.
- Council approved exhibition of the Resourcing Strategy 2026-2036, including the Long Term Financial Plan, Strategic Asset Management Plan and Strategic Service Management Plan.
- The draft Asset Management Policy was endorsed for 28-day public exhibition.
- The draft Rates and Charges Hardship Assistance Strategic Policy and Debt Recovery and Management Strategic Policy were also endorsed for exhibition.
- Council commenced a formal review of its rating structure, with findings to inform possible consideration of a new farming subcategory for 2027-28.
- A further report on the integrated planning and reporting documents is to come back to council after the exhibition period.
Why it matters
- The draft budget, fees and long-term plans shape council services, spending and asset management, and residents now have a defined period to inspect the documents and make submissions before they are adopted.