Bass Coast is located about 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne and is predominantly a coastal municipality with a unique coastline complemented by a beautiful hinterland. Bass Coast is one of the few Victorian municipalities whose two major industries are tourism and agriculture. Cattle and dairy farming are the area's agricultural backbone, with boutique farming such as venison and vineyards fast emerging. Bass Coast Shire has one of the highest growth rates in Victoria and 29% of the resident population is over the age of 60. During peak holiday periods, Bass Coast's population exceeds 60,000. The Shire is visited by 35% of Melbourne's international visitors each year.

	2012-13	2011-12	2010-11	2009-10
Expenditure ($)	61.391m	59.873m	51.657m	47.002m
Revenue ($)	67.964m	72.650m	63.711m	59.373m
- Charges ($)	33.358m	37.251m	28.156m	31.812m
- VGC Grants ($)	5.481m	5.517m	5.106m	4.596m