The City of Melbourne has developed a 10-Year Financial Plan to deliver on our vision for the city’s growth, prosperity and liveability.
We engaged with the community in two ways – through broader community engagement and via our first People’s Panel.
The broad community engagement took place across the city from Wednesday 30 July to Wednesday 3 September. Anyone could join the conversation using the budget simulator and at a number of community events across the city. Information gathered during the broader community engagement was presented to the People’s Panel to inform their recommendations.
The People’s Panel of 43 randomly selected Melburnians was formed to make recommendations to Council on its spending and revenue strategy over the next decade. Since August 2014, the diverse group of residents and ratepayers were given open access to information, expert opinion and financial data to inform its recommendations.
Consultation closed
Past updates
Timeline
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Timeline item 1 - complete
Broader Engagement - 30 July to 29 August 2014
The broader engagement included the Budget Simulator, workshops and pop-ups.
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Timeline item 2 - complete
People's Panel Meetings - August to October 2014
The People’s Panel will meet five times between August and November 2014.
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Timeline item 3 - complete
People's Panel Recommendations - November 2014
The People's Panel will make its recommendations to Council at a special Future Melbourne Committee at 5.30pm Monday 17 November 2014.
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Timeline item 4 - complete
10-Year Financial Plan Development - from November 2014
The City of Melbourne will develop its 10-Year Financial Plan.
Document Library
Evaluation

Media
- Experiment pays off: Melbourne People's Panel produces quality policy - The Age, 29 June 2015
- Melbourne People's Panel makes bold decisions where politicians fear to tread - The Age, 1 April 2015
- People’s panel: citizens tell Melbourne where to go - The Fifth Estate, 27 November 2014
- People's panel pitches in to advise Melbourne City Council where it should spend $5 billion - The Age, 3 December 2014
- For Democracy's Sake Give Power to the People - The Age, 1 September 2014
- Citizens' jury of Melburnians will guide $6 billion spend - The Age, 7 July 2014
FAQs
- Why is the City of Melbourne developing its first 10-Year Financial Plan?
Our city is growing and changing. The next decade will bring increased demand on our services, as well as new challenges and opportunities that we must plan for now.
While the City of Melbourne is in a strong financial position, our funding is finite. Spending can’t keep pace with growth forever. We need to re-think the way we do business to ensure we can address our future financial challenges and help our city thrive now and into the future.
Melbourne City Councill has committed to a range of projects and long-term strategies which require funding over the next decade. This includes the largest investment in our history for the renewal of the Queen Victoria Market, an open space strategy and structure plans to accommodate population and jobs growth in key parts of the city. New works, community infrastructure and the renewal of existing assets and facilities will also continue to require significant funds.
In order to meet these commitments and provide a high level of services to the community into the future, we need to look forward, not planning year to year, but instead adopting a long-term approach to spending and revenue.
- How is the City of Melbourne engaging with the community on the 10-Year Financial Plan?
The City of Melbourne is engaging with the community about the 10-Year Financial Plan in two ways – through broad community engagement and via its People’s Panel.
The broad community engagement took place across the city from Wednesday 30 July to Friday 29 August. Anyone could have their say using the Budget Simulator and at a number of community events.
- Why are you involving the community in the process?
The City of Melbourne is well known for its strong commitment to legitimate community engagement. We have a long track record of involving the community in the decisions they are interested in and which impact upon them.
The views of Melburnians have helped shape a number of significant projects for our city, including the long-term plan for the future direction of city life (Future Melbourne), the redevelopment of Swanston Street, our Urban Forest Strategy and the renewal of the Queen Victoria Market.
We want to involve the community in the process of developing our 10-Year Financial Plan, making more collaborative decisions on our revenue and spending strategy.
- How will the People's Panel work?
The People’s Panel will comprise 43 residents, business owners and students who have been randomly selected to represent a broad cross-section of the City of Melbourne community.
From late August 2014, the People’s Panel will be given open access to information, expert opinion of its choosing and data over a three month period to inform its recommendations. As a group, the panel will be asked to consider and recommend its preferred balance of revenue and costs to Council.
Council will listen to the panel’s views and consider all recommendations when developing its 10 year financial plan. As part of this commitment, Council will meet with the panel and formally respond to all recommendations.
- Can I still join the People’s Panel?
The People’s Panel has been selected.Only residents and businesses who received a letter from the Lord Mayor in late June were able to nominate for the panel. This is because we have conducted a random stratified process to ensure that the panel of 43 people reflect the demographic make up on the City of Melbourne.
- Why only 43 people?
Several steps were taken to determine that there should be 43 members on the People’s Panel. Forty-three is the recommended sample size for a population of 100,000 to 250 000, resulting in a confidence level of 95 per cent.
- Why is there a 50/50 split of residents and business given the majority of income comes from business?
There are many ways you can look at this. While businesses provide a majority of income, residents make up a vast percentage of the city’s population. We believe that we have selected a model that balances opinion and ensures equal representation for residents and businesses.
- Can people observe the People Panel process?
Some parts of the People’s Panel assemblies will be declared open and members of the public and will be able to view the proceedings. Most times however the People’s panel will deliberate behind closed doors and will be supported by a facilitator and new Democracy.
- What are the next steps?
The People’s Panel will meet five times between August and October this year, before making its recommendations to Council in November.
Information gathered from the budget simulator and broader community engagement will be presented to the People’s Panel as a summary report for their consideration when preparing their recommendations to Council.
From November, the City of Melbourne will start working on developing its 10-Year Financial Plan.
- How will the recommendations be reported to Council?
Council will listen to the panel’s views and consider all recommendations when developing its 10-Year Financial Plan. As part of this commitment, Council will meet with the panel and formally respond to all of its recommendations.
- How does the broader community engagement relate to the People’s Panel?
Information gathered from the budget simulator will be presented to the People’s Panel as a summary report for their consideration when preparing their recommendations to Council.
- Are the panel members paid?
Panel members will be reimbursed $100 per panel session (a total of $500.00) upon completion. Meals will also be provided.