City of Cockburn property owners will continue to pay some of Perth’s lowest and best value rates in 2025-26, with an average weekly cost of $38 helping provide and maintain the diverse range of high-quality facilities and services that our community expects and deserves.
In 2025-26, the City will use $140.8m in rates income to continue providing waste management, road and drainage improvements, three libraries, 396 parks, 22 sporting reserves, a range of free and low-cost community events, a variety of community facilities including dedicated seniors and youth centres, a free financial counselling service and much more.
Cockburn Council adopted its 2025-26 Budget at a Special Council Meeting on Thursday 19 June.
Including the City’s 2025-26 rates increase, the average increase over five years for residential properties in Cockburn will remain lower than the Perth Consumer Price Index (4.53 per cent), and the Local Government Cost Index (4.22 per cent) forecast over the same period.
Mayor Logan Howlett said the City paid close attention to living up to the promise of making Cockburn the best place to live, work and play by adopting responsible budgets that kept rates low.
“For the last five years, the City’s average rate increase has been 3.40 per cent,” Mayor Howlett said.
“We work hard to deliver what our community asks of us and that is to keep our rates low while maintaining great value for money and top quality services.
“We’ve continued to achieve this despite some challenging times in recent years, including the current cost of living crisis, increased costs to maintain and build assets and a tight labour market following Covid.
“As we continue to balance the management of these expenses while keeping rates low, we are focused on maintaining existing City assets and restricting the number of new projects.
“But there are also some projects our community has been waiting for and we are excited to deliver as we also strive to provide facilities and services for our growing population.
“This includes commencing the $15m Beale Park redevelopment due for completion for the 2027 soccer season, $11.2m for road safety improvements and resurfacing, and $7.34m to improve parks, reserves, sporting grounds and facilities.”
The 2025-26 Budget includes a capital maintenance and works budget of $65.37m.
The following differential property rates will apply for 2025-26:
- Residential Improved properties – 3.5 per cent increase in the rate-in-the-dollar and minimum payment
- Vacant – 4.5 per cent increase in the rate-in-the-dollar and minimum payment
- Unimproved Value rated properties – 4.5 per cent increase in the rate-in-the-dollar and minimum payment
- Commercial & Industrial properties (including caravan parks) – 4.5 per cent increase in the rate-in-the-dollar and minimum payment.
2025-26 Budget highlights:
- Enhancement of our natural areas, parks, and playgrounds $7.34m
- Rockingham Road revitalisation $2.69m
- Upgrade Manning Park Playground $2.29m
- Cockburn ARC plant and equipment renewal, mainly air-conditioning $2.1m
- Grants and sponsorships $2m
- Pathway renewals and new installations $1.8m
- CCTV $406,000.