The council has released it draft budget, inviting the community to comment on its projected expenditure for the coming year, until May 25.

Councillors have so far lauded the proposed budget, with Birch ward councillor Piere Niclas describing it as “far-reaching and hard-hitting”.

Coliban ward councillor Sebastian Klein agreed, stating it was the best budget process he had been involved in, with the final product simply requiring “a bit of tweaking”.

Manager Finance and Information Technology Trafford Thompson said planners had decreased the rate per dollar to reach the state government’s imposed rate cap of 2.5 per cent.

The 2016-17 proposed budget will increase the council’s rate income by 2.5 per cent of $389,000 plus supplementary revenue from the rating of new buildings.

This will lead to a total rates revenue of $16.13 million, plus $2.33 million from waste management and kerbside collection charges.

The council’s expected operating result for 2016-17 is a surplus of $5.82 million, due to increase in gains from selling property, and reduced depreciation, borrowing costs and other expenses.

It expects to spend $13.94 on capital works in the coming financial year, which it expects will half be paid for by grants and capital contributions, and half by council cash.

In the coming year, the council expects to spend $4.37 million on asset renewal works such as as road resealing, bridge and footpath work, and streetscape improvement in Glenlyon, Hepburn Springs and Trentham to the tune of $940,000.

It also expects to spend $555,000 on fleet, plant and equipment renewal and $330,000 on Lake Daylesford improvements.

The proposed budget is open for submissions and can be viewed at council offices in Daylesford, Creswick and Clunes, the council website, and Hepburn libraries.