The increase will help fund a $100,000 full-time environment officer, a $250,000 toilet block in Creswick, a $95,000 outdoor maintenance worker in Clunes and $13,000 to repair the Trentham town clock.

A council report says the draft budget was "the best result for the community since the Hepburn Shire Council was formed in 1995" because the community helped shape it through a series of public meetings.

Council's mayor Heather Mutimer said the draft budget included many items in response to community input.

"The process adopted this year was strongly directed by the extensive community feedback we received," she said.

Deputy mayor Bill McClenaghan said all the items in the draft budget were important and those not included would be looked at next year.

He said farmers would see a drop in rates from 0.88 per cent of the general rate to 0.86 per cent.

The municipal charge will also drop from $88 to $66.

Funding has also been recommended for projects including: the Trentham Neighbourhood House redevelopment; Old Glenlyon dam rehabilitation work and hard stand for fire tankers;; improvement to Calambeen Park; $50,000

for further development of the Daylesford Youth Park; repairs to Clunes Bottle Museum; $50,000 for footpaths to the Trentham Hostel; tree safety work at Yandoit on the school bus route; $6000 for security for Newlyn Sporting

complex; Creswick Preschool improvements; Daylesford Senior Citizen Room improvements; $10,000 for repairs to Creswick Museum; $9600 towards Trentham Historical Society Building extension; and $15,000 towards Daylesford

Spa Railway facilities.

The council's corporate services director Chris Cowley said the pending budget was perhaps the best result ever achieved in the Hepburn Shire.

The draft budget is being advertised and residents are invited to comment.

Written submissions will be considered before the budget is formally adopted on June 20.