Point Cook Infrastructure Bond Referendum on November Ballot: Ratepayer Costs and Project List

Point Cook City Council placed the infrastructure bond referendum on the November 8 ballot after the 2025-26 capital works budget identified $48 million in unfunded road and stormwater projects. The measure would issue general obligation bonds repaid through a dedicated property tax levy lasting two decades.

The council placed the question now because state-mandated pavement condition surveys completed in March showed 37 percent of local streets rated poor or failed. Without new revenue, the public works department projects that backlog will grow to $71 million by 2030.

Projects listed in the bond ordinance

If approved, the ordinance directs funds to four named projects: resurfacing of Point Cook Road between Aviation Parkway and Dunnings Road, replacement of the Bellarine stormwater culvert, reconstruction of three intersections on Boardwalk Boulevard, and installation of new drainage pipes along Homestead Drive. The city clerk’s office has mailed a voter pamphlet that lists exact street segments and engineering estimates for each item.

Local property owners would see the levy appear as a separate line on annual tax notices beginning in 2027. The city finance office calculated the $135 average increase using assessed values from the 2025 property roll; owners of higher-value homes would pay more, while lower-value parcels would pay less.

Analyst and resident comments

Policy analysts at the Point Cook Fiscal Review Board stated that the bond structure spreads costs across current and future taxpayers rather than requiring immediate full payment from reserves. Community groups that attended the June public hearing recorded comments focused on the timing of road repairs before the next winter season and the absence of new spending on parks or libraries in the current proposal.

The ballot language requires a simple majority for passage. City election officials will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots on October 12, with results certified no later than November 20. If the measure fails, the listed projects revert to the unfunded list in the next capital improvement plan.