Council adopts 2023/24 Annual Budget

Council has adopted the 2023/24 Annual Budget, Council Plan 2021-2025 (2023/24 Update), long-term financial plan 2023/24 to 2032/33 and a plan for managing Council assets throughout Maroondah.

The documents were adopted during the Council meeting on Monday 19 June 2023.

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Rob Steane OAM, said the documents provide an overview of how Council will deliver key projects and initiatives in the short and long term while continuing to progress work completed over the last financial year.

“The 2023/24 Annual Budget has been set using a rigorous process of consultation and review. Council has adopted it as a balanced, sustainable, and responsible platform to ensure enhanced services, protection of Council’s $2.1 billion in net assets, the delivery of $65.77 million extensive capital projects, an underlying surplus of $3.9 million excluding extraordinary items, and a financially strong future for our community,” Cr Steane said.

“The Budget also links to the achievements of the Council Plan, as part of Council’s integrated planning framework. It outlines the provision of financial resources for the next 12 months and details how these resources will be applied to meet the actions and initiatives detailed in the Council Plan, as well as delivering more than 120 services, providing an extensive range of programs and activities, and continuing to provide support to our community as part of Council’s ongoing plan for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The 2023/24 Budget allocates funds towards Council’s service delivery, including $2 million for early years and youth development, education and care; $2.66 million on community wellbeing and health; $1.49 million for supporting older residents and people with disabilities; $1.67 million for maternal and child health services; $10.6 million for maintaining Maroondah’s natural environment and open spaces; and $1.9 million for the maintenance and renewal of Council’s golf courses and 48 sportsfields.

Council expenditure allocations per $100

This chart (above) provides an indication of how Council allocates its expenditure across the main services that it delivers. It shows how much is allocated to each service for every $100 that Council spends.

The 2023/24 Budget has also allocated $65.77 million to ensure Council’s $2.1 billion worth of assets continue to meet the current and future needs of our community. This includes maintaining assets such as buildings, parks, bush reserves, playgrounds, roads, drainage pipes, footpaths and more.

Mayor Cr Rob Steane confirmed the Council Plan 2021-2025 (2023/24 Update) meets the requirements of the Local Government Act 2020.

“The Council Plan sets out our key medium-term directions and priority actions, providing a strong foundation for how we will continue to provide important services, projects and initiatives to support our community. It also provides a framework to align Council strategies and priorities with the needs and aspirations of our community, which are outlined in Maroondah 2040,” Cr Steane said.

The 2023/24 Budget allocates funding for 37 major initiatives to be undertaken in 2023/24. These are identified in the Council Plan 2021-2025 and will contribute to the achievement of the four-year Council Plan key directions and outcomes outlined in Maroondah 2040

Significant initiatives Developing, reviewing and implementing key strategies and action plans such as the Maroondah Liveability, Wellbeing and Resilience Strategy 2021-2031, the Health and Wellbeing Action Plan 2021-2023 and Positive Ageing Framework and Action Plan 2021-2025, the Physical Activity Strategy and a Stadium Sports Strategy Continuing to monitor the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing responses that align with the community’s needs Undertaking the staged redevelopment of the Croydon Community Wellbeing Precinct Working with our community to develop Maroondah 2050, our next Community Vision, and preparing the Council Plan 2025-2029 following the election of a new Council.

For waste services to be delivered effectively and efficiently throughout the municipality - particularly recycling - the charge for 2023/2024 will increase by 9.8 percent from the 2022/23 level. As the service includes kerbside collection, green waste, the recently introduced Food in Organics (FOGO) initiatives and recycling, the price increase will help ensure a reliable and environmentally friendly waste processing service throughout the municipality.

The Asset Plan is a strategic document to inform the community about how $2.1 billion worth of community assets will be managed. Developed in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, it provides information about maintenance, renewal, acquisition, expansions, upgrade, disposal and decommissioning of Council assets over a rolling 10-year period.

Highlights of the 2023/24 Capital Works Program Buildings $45.2 million - includes: Activity Centre Carpark Development Program at Ringwood ($28.6m); community facilities improvements ($3.75m); Croydon Community Wellbeing Precinct ($5.4m) and improved accessibility to Council facilities for people with a disability ($530,000) Roads $3.65 million - includes: local road renewal program ($1.64m) and kerb and channel replacement works ($580,000) Footpaths & cycleways $3.2 million - includes: footpath replacement works ($1.05m); footpaths construction program ($1.45m); and disability footpath access ($300,000) Carparks $0.40 million - Carpark improvement program ($400,000) Drainage $4.93 million - includes: Stormwater drainage renewal program, including but not limited to: Sherbrook Catchment Stormwater Upgrades Stage 4 ($2m) and Mullum Mullum Road retarding basin and Panfield Lane upgrades ($1m) Recreational, leisure and community facilities $1.9 million - Sportsfield lighting improvement program ($270,000); sportsfield improvement program ($650,000); sports infrastructure renewal such as cricket nets, coaches’ boxes and scoreboards ($490,000); and golf course improvement program ($450,000) Parks and open space $1.93 million - includes: open space playground improvement program ($720,000); tree improvement program ($910,000); and footbridge and boardwalk improvements ($70,000)

View the Council Plan 2021-2025 (2023/24 Update) and