Politics
Bundoora City Council Approves 2026 Neighbourhood Services Levy Affecting Local Property Rates
Bundoora residents face adjusted property contributions from September to support expanded maintenance of streets and public facilities.
How we reported this
Bundoora City Council voted 8-3 on 7 July to enact the Neighbourhood Services Levy, which applies to all rateable properties within the municipality and directs proceeds to road resurfacing and park upkeep contracts.
The measure responds to documented wear on local infrastructure after two years of higher usage volumes recorded in council maintenance logs from 2024 and 2025.
Effects on household costs and services
Under the levy schedule, the average residential property will contribute an additional amount calculated from its unimproved land value, with the collected total projected at 1.8 million dollars for the current fiscal year. Commercial properties pay on the same valuation basis but at a separate rate tier. Funds will cover scheduled repairs on 14 kilometres of local roads and the installation of new playground equipment at three existing parks.
Policy analysts note that the levy replaces an earlier temporary grant that expired in June, shifting the cost directly onto the rate base rather than external sources. Local advocates point out that households in the northern wards, where road conditions were flagged in the most recent engineering assessment, stand to see the first round of works begin in October.
Implementation timeline
The legislation states that the first levy notices will accompany the September rate instalment, with payments spread across the remaining three quarters of the financial year. Council staff will publish quarterly expenditure reports on the municipal website starting in December, listing each contract awarded and the specific streets or reserves addressed.
Further public meetings are scheduled for August to review contractor selections before work commences.