Councillors voted to sent out the draft budget for public comment during Tuesday's meeting after a split 4-3 vote.

Crs Karen Foster, James Purcell and Jordan Lockett voted against the motion over a last-minute inclusion of $9000 in funding for the regional cricket association which sparked debate and was labelled "a pet project".

Just how much the average rate bill will be in Moyne shire will not be known until June, with Cr Jim Doukas revealing there was still some figures to yet come in.

Cr Doukas said details of how many houses and commercial properties there were and what the valuations were had been included in the draft budget in previous years. "But it's not here and that's because there is a time lag," he said.

The council's director of community and corporate services David Rae said that now the valuation cycle was done annually, it did "complicate matters somewhat".

"Those disclosures will be made in the final document that's presented to council in late June," he said.

Mr Rae said the average increase was 1.75 per cent but the amount would vary above or below the average depending on the valuation rise and falls of each property.

But Cr Doukas said the increase for ratepayers would "cut them to the bone".

"When you add in municipal charges and waste charges, the average rate increase won't be anywhere near 1.75. It will be closer to three," he said.

"We will wait with baited breath to see exactly what the rate increase is."

Waste charges are revealed in the budget and have risen 5.86 per cent to $605 per property.

Cr Doukas also questioned why details of which roads were earmarked for upgrades were not included in the draft budget for the public to see - something he said used to be included.

The council said it would now make that planned program of works public.

Cr Daniel Meade said the budget addressed some of the major issues within the shire with an increase in roads funding to $9.2 million.

He said it was also a conservative budget that allowed for some room to move.

Cr Purcell said that while it was a good budget, he was "really concerned" about the continual carry forwards.

"The budget just says we're going to do all of this, but unless we do something differently we are not going to get it done," he said.

Cr Purcell said the council needed a better plan to make sure the work was done rather than "just hoping".

Cr Meade moved a motion to send the draft budget out for public comment with a "small amendment" to include $9000 in support to the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association.

Cr Meade said he had included the association because of the work they did in the new combined league that incorporated a lot of Moyne shire's rural teams with funding from previous years going to junior clinics, competitions, and female teams and facilities.

But Cr Purcell spoke against the motion because it included funding for the association. "If we are going to use this time of council to include pet projects, there's a few I wouldn't mind chucking in as well," he said,

Cr Purcell said there would be an opportunity to put in submission to the budget, and that would be the appropriate time to include the funding for the association.

Cr Karen Foster and Jordan Lockett also questioned the inclusion of the funding allocation in the motion.

"I just think it's thrown in at the 11^th hour and I don't feel it's fair to the other community groups," Cr Lockett said.

Cr Doukas said it seemed councillors were in support of giving the association the money, but their issue was "a matter of process".

He said there had been some miscommunication about who was meant to contact who over the funding allocation and it was a "small oversight" that could now easily be corrected.

Cr Doukas said to include the funding allocation now sent a message to the young women playing cricket were not forgotten about.

Cr Damian Gleeson said it was important they supported the cricket organisation but suggested it be renamed to Warrnambool Moyne District Cricket Association.

"I'm so big on community. I'm so big on sporting bodies. I don't want them to miss out," he said.

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