Boat Owners queried on role
Introducing SAFE Kiama
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Double OAMs for table tennis p3
Call to stop fishing rubbish
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Clayton’s book feat
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29 MAY 2021
Council says focus is on financial sustainability Council’s Draft Operational Plan for 2021/2 has gone on exhibition, showing an operating loss of $3.5 million and a cash surplus of $4.9m. These are big improvements on the operational loss of $8 million and cash loss of $9.7 million suffered in 2019/20 when COVID impacts on tourism peaked. In the current year, Council is now forecasting a $6.6 million operational loss and a $13.3 million cash surplus. While much work has gone into cost efficiencies, the budget for the coming year has had to incorporate extra expenses, such as a $2.3 million increase in depreciation costs (caused by the revaluation of roads and bringing
Blue Haven Bonaira onto the books), a $600,000 increase in insurance premiums, additional borrowing costs and $250,000 for the Council election. These have contributed to total expenses increasing 8 per cent to $75.7 million. Acting General Manager Mike Dowd is satisfied with the progress that has been made already, and says the key message of the plan is its focus on long term sustainability. “It is not a quick fix. It is about building sustainable finances for Council moving forward,” he says. “We aren’t trying to achieve a surplus within twelve months because it wouldn’t
be sustainable if we did that. “We are looking at a range of opportunities to increase our income, improve efficiencies and reduce costs. Not in isolation, but in combination.” Mr Dowd wants to reassure the community that while Council will continue to experience losses over the next two to three years, its overall financial state is strong, with $39 million in reserves. “Council is in a strong position to continue to provide all those high quality services and programs to our community that make us proud to live and work here in Kiama; maintenance of our parks, gardens and outdoor play spaces, provision of library,
from user fees and charges (including Blue Haven and Operational loss -$8.0m -$6.6m -$3.5m the Holiday Parks) and 29 Cash deficit -$9.7m +$13.3m +$4.87m per cent from grants. Council’s Holiday Parks at Capital works $39.3m $2.4m $3.6m new Blowhole Point, Surf Beach, Kendalls and Werri Beach Capital works $24.5m $19.1m $13.3m are expected to make a $2.9 renewal million net contribution to Rates and annual $23.7m $25.5m $26.5m this year’s budget; and Blue charges Haven a net contribution of Fees and charges $20.3m $24.6m $21.8m $1.5 million. community and cultural ser- projects. The largest item The Business Paper report vices, collection and manage- on the renewal side of the for the May Council Meeting ment of waste and improvecapital works program is $2 says the small cash surplus ments to our road, footpath million for a major enterprise is ‘principally driven by and bicycle facilities, just to software upgrade. accommodation deposits into name a few,“ he says. On the income side, total the new Blue Haven Bonaira The budget allows for revenue is forecast to be Aged Care Home’. $16.9 million in capital up 7.3 per cent to $76 The coming year will see works (down from $21.5 million, with 35 per cent of a number of strategic projmillion this year), $3.6 that coming from rates and ects undertaken to enhance continued on p13 million of which is for new annual charges, 28 per cent 2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
Dunmore site for new Shellharbour Hospital The Health Minister Brad Hazzard has announced the new state-of-the-art Shellharbour Hospital will be built on a greenfield site on Dunmore Road, Dunmore, 7km closer to Kiama. “This fantastic greenfield site is well connected to the road and rail transport network so the hospital will be accessible to the whole community,” Mr Hazzard said. “The site also provides space for the hospital to expand in the future so it can continue to meet the healthcare needs of the growing Illawarra community.
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“The new hospital will deliver world class health services to Shellharbour, reduce travel times and take the pressure off other nearby facilities such as Wollongong. “We’ve chosen a great site to build our hospital and, after careful planning with staff and the community, we expect to see shovels in the ground before March 2023.” As part of the integrated project, NSW Health will expand its services at Bulli Hospital and add palliative care and rehabilitation beds at Wollongong Hospital while the new hospital is being built.
A new community health facility will also be built at Warrawong. The changes will lead to the staged closure of Port Kembla Hospital and a greatly expanded new hospital at Shellharbour as part of a $700 million-plus redevelopment project. The new hospital is expected to include: • expanded emergency services • increased surgical capacity • rehabilitation and aged care services • acute medical services
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