Published on Thursday, 18 June 2026 at 9:06:15 AM
Vincent has been nationally recognised as Western Australia’s most liveable City and that’s something we all contribute to. Maintaining that liveability means continuing to invest in what our community values.
This year’s Budget has been shaped by two key factors - rising costs and our community’s expectation for Council to deliver the services and amenities that make Vincent a great place to live.
Like households and businesses, the City is facing higher costs across the board. Every additional $500,000 that needs to be found adds around one per cent to rates. At the same time, residents understandably expect well-maintained roads, safe streets, accessible footpaths and well cared for parks and public spaces.
Our 2026/27 budget focuses on delivering those services while continuing to invest in the infrastructure needed by our growing community.
Vincent’s growth is placing increasing pressure on our streets, parks and community facilities. More people means more demand and higher ongoing costs. That’s something we need to plan for now.
We’re also continuing to invest in greening our City by planting more trees and protecting our urban canopy to keep Vincent cooler and more climate-resilient into the future.
To maintain these services, residential rates will increase by 5.4 per cent - around $1.85 per week for the median household.
Despite this increase, Vincent remains one of the lowest rating councils in metropolitan Perth, ranked eighth lowest in 2025/26 based on a median GRV of $20,800.
We’ve introduced a new higher rate for un-hosted Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA), recognising that these are commercial uses operating within residential areas.
We’ve also increased rates on vacant residential properties. These properties often attract anti-social behaviour and require additional management, creating costs for the broader community. These changes encourage development while ensuring all properties contribute fairly.
Local governments are increasingly being required to take on responsibilities without adequate funding from other levels of government. This cost shifting has real impacts for our community and adds to the pressure on ratepayers.
One of the most significant pressures is the ongoing management of the polyphagous shot-hole borer, which continues to place significant and unplanned pressure on the City’s resources and urban forest.
As a small inner-city council, partnerships with State and Federal Government remain critical. We will continue to advocate for funding that reflects the services local governments are expected to deliver and supports major projects for our community.
Importantly, we’re doing this while maintaining strong financial discipline with no new borrowings and a continued focus on Vincent’s long-term financial sustainability.
Vincent was recently recognised as a Best Practice Entity for the second year in a row by the WA Office of the Auditor General – an independent acknowledgement of the City’s commitment to transparent and accountable financial management.
This is a responsible budget that maintains essential services, manages increasing costs and continues to invest to ensure Vincent remains a place we’re all proud to call home.
I encourage residents to stay connected, follow the City’s social media channels and subscribe to our e-newsletter to keep up to date with projects, programs and initiatives happening across the City.
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