The Budget 2025-26 details what Council will deliver within the financial year and how these activities will be funded.
Melbourne is poised for a period of rapid transformation and our $732.4 million draft Budget 2025–26 delivers the essential services our community needs today, along with a bold vision for our city in the future.
This year’s draft Budget sets out the priorities and investments we will deliver for Melburnians in 2025–26, while we develop the Melbourne 2050 Community Vision and four-year Council Plan 2025–29.
It strikes a balance by focusing on what matters most – delivering core services, easing the pressure on household budgets, spending responsibly and achieving sustainable surpluses. It also delivers what Melburnians want and need – a clean and safe city, with open and green spaces and a great place to do business.
In 2025–26, we’re on track to deliver back-to-back surpluses by making prudent financial decisions, without compromising on services our community needs every day.
This budget sets the direction for serving our growing community, by investing in essential services and ensuring Melbourne remains an admired global capital city.
- $732.4 million – total draft Budget, a balance of delivering essential services for the community and investing for the future
- $578 million – total operating expenditure
- $150,000 surplus
- $154 million community facilities and infrastructure
- $70.6 million safety and cleaning
- $44.3 million open space, streetscape and greening
The City of Melbourne also provides a wide range of services for residents, ratepayers, businesses and visitors alike.
These diverse services include:
- parks and gardens
- public health and safety
- recreation and leisure
- street cleaning and waste management
- arts and cultural policy and programming
- urban policy and design
- international and national connections
- arts participation and activation
- business
- city promotion and tourism
- events
- local laws compliance
- visitor and resident information
- research
- building, development and planning
- sustainable environmental management
- property and assets
- community services.
