Know Your Council Website Data Explained

Published on 12 August 2025

Each year Council provides audited information for the Know Your Council website on a range of measures including Aquatic Facilities, Animal Management, Food Safety, Governance, Libraries, Roads, Statutory Planning, Waste Management, Financial Performance and Sustainability. Four years of data is provided for communities to compare Council against Council.

Hindmarsh Shire is aware of information circulating that does not provide the full picture. Costs of service delivery, outcomes of VCAT decisions, and staff turnover for all 79 Victorian Councils to name a few.

The following provides details on the information that is circulating, explaining what is included in the cost-of-service delivery, number of VCAT decisions, and staff turnover for 2023/2024.

Costs of Kerbside Garbage Bin Collection Services

Hindmarsh Shire cost per kerbside bin collection was just over $270 per bin for 2023/2024, this does not include kerbside recycling collection costs. Council undertakes collection of the 2,827 kerbside garbage bins on a weekly basis across our Shire.

Hindmarsh Shire Council covers an area of 7,500sq/km, with kerbside collections undertaken by a local contractor across each of the four towns. The costs associated with this service are for transport (running trucks across the Shire and delivery of rubbish to the Dooen landfill site), gate fees at the Dooen Landfill site, the State Government Landfill Levy (which significantly increases annually), and staffing and operating costs of the contractor. Council does not make a profit on waste and with the EPA requirements it is cost and compliance prohibitive for a small Council like Hindmarsh to manage a landfill site within the Shire.

To reduce costs, many larger Councils have already moved to fortnightly kerbside garbage collection and are able to spread the transport costs over a greater number of bin collections.

Costs of Statutory Planning Services

Hindmarsh Shire is reported as having the highest cost per planning permit application in Victoria at just over $8,700 per permit for 2023/2024. Council does not split costs associated with Statutory Planning into planning application costs or statutory planning activities. Hindmarsh Statutory Planning costs, as reported on the Know Your Council website, are for more than planning applications - staff deal with many phone calls with community members and undertake Statutory Planning activities, which in 2023/2024 included a review of Heritage Overlays within Hindmarsh Shire and a review of the Planning Scheme to resolve anomalies. During the 2023/2024 financial year Council received 32 planning applications and were predominately reliant on contractors for assessing and preparing planning permits.

During 2023/2024 Council also received a grant for the implementation of software which enables community members to track in real time the status of their planning permit and employed a planning cadet who has now graduated and will remove the reliance on contractors to assess and prepare planning permits.

VCAT Decisions

In 2023/2024 two (2) Hindmarsh planning decisions were taken to VCAT. During the notification period, if there is an objection, the objector or applicant has the ability to take the permit decision to VCAT. For the two planning permits that went through VCAT during 2023/2024, one was upheld meaning that VCAT agreed with Council issuing the permit and planning permit conditions, and the second was an application Council did not issue a permit for. VCAT considered the reason for Council not issuing the permit, and following a number of conditions being agreed by the objector, applicant and Council, instructed Council to issue the permit.

Costs of Library Services

Hindmarsh cost of library services per head of population for 2023/2024 was just over $62 per resident. Council operates four libraries across the Shire with three also being Council Customer Service Centres. Many Councils do not have libraries in each of their towns and very few incorporate customer services, requiring community members to travel outside of their community to access a library or undertake Council business.

Hindmarsh Shire libraries are more than books on shelves, they are community hubs that deliver much needed social support including cuppa connections, craft activities, jigsaw clubs, school holiday programs, access to computers and internet, and are a safe space for all to access.

Investment in libraries is an investment in the health and wellbeing of our community.

Staff Turnover

During 2023/2024 staff turnover was just over 26% (24 staff), this is a result of a number of staff retiring from Council, others moving onto different career paths, and part time employees completing their degree and moving into fulltime roles in their field of qualification. During 2023/2024 the previous CEO concluded employment along with two interim Acting Infrastructure Directors.

Hindmarsh will continue to see a number of retirements each year due to the age of our workforce.

Monica Revell
Chief Executive Officer