Surf Coast
Shire · Latest data: 2023-24 · Source: VLGGC Questionnaire · Rates vs Services → · Report Card →
Total Expenditure
$103.8m
2023-24
Capital Works
$20.6m
19.8% of expenditure
Governance Spend
$25,089,965
Local Roads Spend
$15,270,907
Governance / Roads
1.64x
spending more on itself
State Rank (Expenditure)
#43
of 79 councils
State avg expenditure: $147.1m
This council: $103.8m
State avg capital: $44.4m
This council: $20.6m
Per Capita (population: 37,706, 2023)
Expenditure / Resident
$2,754
Capital / Resident
$546
Governance / Resident
$665
Roads / Resident
$405
Expenditure Trend (9 Years)
Capital Works by Function (2023-24)
Expenditure by Function Over Time
Service Performance (ESC Rate Capping Outcomes)
Community Satisfaction
0.5
State avg: 0.5
#38 of 78
Roads Condition
1.0%
State avg: 1.0%
Bins Missed / 10k
4.3
State avg: 6.3
Employee Costs / Capita
$1,017
State avg: $915
Asset Renewal vs Depreciation
0.7%
running down assets
Satisfaction & Roads Condition
Employee Costs Per Capita & Bins Missed
Performance Indicators (LGPRF 2024-25)
Efficiency
2 indicators ▾
| ID | Indicator | Result | State Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E2 | Expenses per property assessment | 4368.1 | 4166.8 | ▼ |
| E4 | Average rate per property assessment | 2314.5 | 1951.9 | ▲ |
Governance
5 indicators ▾
| ID | Indicator | Result | State Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Council decisions made at meetings closed to the public | 0.1 | 0.1 | ▲ |
| Council says: There has been a focus to bring more reports, particularly procurement reports - out of confidential to increase transparency. The recent commencement of construction of the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre has slightly increased the number of closed reports … | ||||
| G2 | Satisfaction with community consultation and engagement | 54.0 | 55.0 | ▼ |
| G3 | Councillor attendance at council meetings | 0.9 | 0.9 | ▲ |
| Council says: Councillor attendance at council meetings remains consistent. | ||||
| G4 | Cost of elected representation | 55798.4 | 62511.3 | ▲ |
| Council says: During the caretaker period prior to the Council election in 2024-25 councillors are not paid. The increase in 2025 is due to the increase to councillor allowances and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor attending more events compared to prior year, … | ||||
| G5 | Satisfaction with council decisions | 52.0 | 54.0 | — |
| Council says: Satisfaction with council’s decision-making has remained steady at 52 in the latest Community Satisfaction Survey. This result is above both the state average of 49 and the large rural council average of 46. | ||||
Roads
5 indicators ▾
| ID | Indicator | Result | State Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Sealed local road requests | 46.1 | 58.2 | ▼ |
| Council says: Compared to the previous period, Surf Coast Shire Council has seen a decrease in the number of sealed road requests. (SEE COMMENT) | ||||
| R2 | Sealed local roads maintained to condition standards | 1.0 | 1.0 | — |
| R3 | Cost of sealed local road reconstruction | 101.8 | 132.1 | ▼ |
| Council says: Surf Coast Shire Council has reported a 12.53% reduction in the cost of sealed local road reconstruction in 2024-25 compared to the prior year. Council rehabilitated semi-rural roads during 2024-25, which is more cost effective than rehabilitation of major urban … | ||||
| R4 | Cost of sealed local road resealing | 6.5 | 19.9 | ▼ |
| Council says: Surf Coast Shire has seen a significant reduction of 83% in the cost of local road resealing in 2024-25. This is due to the 2024-25 resealing program focusing entirely on large-scale rural roads using spray seal. In contrast, the 2023-24 … | ||||
| R5 | Satisfaction with sealed local roads | 52.0 | 50.5 | ▼ |
Statutory Planning
4 indicators ▾
| ID | Indicator | Result | State Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP1 | Time taken to decide planning applications | 63.0 | 72.3 | ▼ |
| Council says: The 21% reduction in average decision times from 80 to 63 days reflects the combined impact of targeted backlog clearance, process streamlining, and a recent shift in application types. Current market conditions, including increased construction costs, have led to a … | ||||
| SP2 | Planning applications decided within required time frames | 0.7 | 0.7 | ▲ |
| SP3 | Cost of statutory planning service | 3858.1 | 3907.9 | ▼ |
| SP4 | Council planning decisions upheld at VCAT | 0.9 | 0.6 | ▲ |
| Council says: The percentage of Council planning decisions upheld at VCAT decreased slightly from 95% to 91.7%. However, this corresponds to just one appeal not upheld each year—11 appeals were determined this year compared to 20 last year. Despite fewer appeals overall, … | ||||
Waste Collection
4 indicators ▾
| ID | Indicator | Result | State Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC2 | Kerbside collection bins missed | 3.5 | 6.3 | ▲ |
| WC3 | Cost of kerbside garbage bin collection service | 96.4 | 145.4 | ▲ |
| Council says: The cost of kerbside waste collections remains steady with a slight increase of 3.32% compared to the previous financial year. This cost increase reflects rate adjustments within Council’s collection contracts due to CPI and fuel prices. Surf coast Shire Council … | ||||
| WC4 | Cost of kerbside recyclables collection service | 61.9 | 76.8 | ▲ |
| Council says: The cost of recycling collections has remained steady, with an increase of 1.55% compared to the previous financial year. This cost increase reflects rate adjustments within Council’s collection contracts due to CPI and fuel prices. Council remains committed to delivering … | ||||
| WC5 | Kerbside collection waste diverted from landfill | 0.7 | 0.5 | ▼ |