Council adopts the 2019/20 budget

Council adopts the 2019/20 budget

Published on 28 June 2019

Council allocated $1.5 million in additional grants to complete additional road projects, fund a range of improvement projects and support matters in response to community submissions when it finalised its annual budget on Wednesday 26 June.

Council adopted the Budget Report 2019/20, Strategic Resource Plan 2019/20 and Council Plan 2017 – 2027 (Year Three) at its Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 26 June. The Budget Report 2019/20, Strategic Resource Plan 2019/20 and Council Plan 2017-2027 (Year 3 2019/20) form part of Council’s overall planning, reporting and accountability framework.

The additional $1.5 million, confirmed since the draft went on public exhibition, comprises $581,000 in Financial Assistance Grants, $580,000 in Fixing Country Roads grants, $189,000 in Roads to Recovery grants and $150,000 in Victorian Government grants to support events and festivals and master planning at the Woodend Community Centre.

Council will use the additional funds for a range of initiatives, including:

Road construction projects: Three Chain Road in Carlsruhe, Willowbank Road in Gisborne and Beauchamp Street in Kyneton. Organisational reform and improvement initiatives Expansion of the roadside weed program Provision of a school crossing supervisor in Kyneton (when the Victoria Street crossing is constructed) Expansion of the organisation’s current gender equality program.

The budget provides more than $80 million towards delivering services and projects to local communities within the imposed 2.5 per cent rate cap.

Waste charges, which are separate from rates and exempt from the rates cap, cover council collections of kerbside garbage, recycling and green waste.

The waste charge will increase slightly (3 per cent), mainly to cover the introduction of a proposed new food organic collection service.

Budget initiatives include major upgrades to change rooms in Dixon Field and Gardiner Reserve in Gisborne, as well as Tony Clarke Reserve in Macedon. The old market shed building in Kyneton’s botanic gardens will be restored, and the Bullengarook to Gisborne walking track upgraded.

Planning work for a megafauna centre in Lancefield will begin and there will be increased spending on footpaths and a ‘wash against waste’ trailer purchased to allow reuse of crockery and cutlery at community events.

All three documents were on display from 30 April to 28 May and a total of 84 submissions were received, with submitters heard by Council at a special meeting on 12 June.

Council made minor amendments to the Council Plan document on Wednesday night, including the introduction of an action to “Prepare a masterplan/feasibility study for revitalisation of the Woodend Library and Community Centre and associated land area”. There were no changes to the Strategic Resource Plan.