Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 25 October 2023

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Chelsea • Mordialloc • Mentone

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Big bodyboarding win NATHAN Clark (left), from Parkdale, has come home from a national bodyboarding competition a winner. The national championships took place in Port Macquarie (pictured above). See story page 2. Pictures: Supplied

Report reveals big surplus for council Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au KINGSTON Council recorded a surplus of more than $32 million in the last financial year. Kingston Council has released its annual report for the 2022/2023 financial year. The report revealed that council posted an operating surplus of $32.7

million. Council spent more than $244.6 million in 2022/2023. Around $65 million was spent on infrastructure projects. In his message within the report, Kingston Council CEO Peter Bean said that council “has a strong track record of sound financial management.” “In 2022/23, council achieved an operating surplus of approximately $32.7 million. That high standard remains the

backdrop of our ongoing investment in community-improving facilities and services,” he said. “In 2022–23, we invested $65 million in capital works to improve, maintain and renew our significant portfolio of community assets. Sports ground and pavilion improvements, shopping centre rejuvenation, major drainage upgrades, thousands of square metres of local road reconstruction, public art projects, ongoing plan-

ning for a wonderful new Aquatic and Leisure Centre, and much, much more has been achieved.” Despite the large suplus, rates in the Kingston municipality are increasing. Council’s final budget for the 2023/2024 financial year contained a 4.49 percent increase to general rates. Overall rates and charges will increase by an average of 3.5 per cent, the maximum allowed under the state government’s rate cap

(“Rate rise despite financial stress” The News 5/7/23). The annual report also revealed how much Kingston councillors are billing ratepayers for their spending. It outlines expenses claimed by councillors in addition to their annual allowance. Seven councillors each billed ratepayers in excess of $1000 in the 2022/2023 financial year. Continued page 3


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