Local Council outcomes report 2023
Our 2023 report on the outcomes of rate capping in Victoria identifies any impacts or trends that might be emerging across the local government sector
The outcomes report provides information about councils' service, infrastructure and financial outcomes.
You can download information related to your council and view our over-arching report.
The report covers 2016–17 to 2021–22
We have completed three outcomes reports since the introduction of rate capping in the 2016–17 financial year. Our first report was released in 2019 and the second report was released in 2021.
Our latest outcomes report looks at what happened to the local government sector's finances in the first four years of rate capping. This is the period from 2016–17 to 2021–22. The report also looks at changes in the rates and charges paid by Victorian ratepayers during this time.
The report focuses on the local government sector as a whole – that is, all 79 councils in Victoria combined.
We have also prepared fact sheets for each council and each of the five council groups. These fact sheets include graphs and data about revenue, expenditure and financial sustainability.
We have also published the fact sheets in an online dashboard. This is available through the 'Interactive dashboard' tab near the top of this page.
View your local council's fact sheet
Your local council's fact sheet includes information about its revenue, expenditure and finances:
- use the tabs near the top of this page to find your local council.
- download your council's fact sheet and the related council group fact sheet. You can use the group fact sheet to compare your council to a group of similar councils.
- view our reader's guide to council fact sheets. This will help you understand the data and interpret the fact sheets.
View an online version of your council’s fact sheet in the 'Interactive dashboard' tab near the top of this page. You can use this online version to see data for any period between 2014–15 and 2021–22. You can also use it to compare one council’s data against the average for the council group or another council.
You can also download an excel spreadsheet containing the data in all the council fact sheets.
Key findings from our 2023 outcomes report
Annual growth in council rates has slowed
Ratepayers have paid lower rates than they would have done in the absence of rate capping. However, we note that the experience of individual ratepayers varies, as factors outside the rate capping system (such as relative property values and differential rates) continue to determine the annual change in rates for each individual ratepayer.
Waste charges have increased
Ratepayers have paid more in service charges each year, due to changes in the waste market and the introduction of waste charges by some councils.
In general, the financial health of the sector remained sound
While there was a deterioration in the sector’s financial health, in general, it remained sound. Performance of individual councils varied, and some councils may face some difficult decisions to maintain their long-term sustainability as inflation persists.
What happens next
We will continue to monitor the outcomes of rate capping and expect to release our next report in 2025. Our 2025 report will include results from 2022–23 and 2023–24.
We will continue to work with the sector and other government agencies over time to improve the quality and consistency of available data.
Other useful resources
If you'd like more information on rates, you can view:
- your council’s annual report, budget and website
- Local Government Victoria's website
- the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office's interactive dashboard of council financial results
- the Victorian Government’s Local Government Performance Reporting Framework website which gives you consistent information about the performance of local councils across Victoria.
Got a question?
Contact us for more information.
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