Budget projects

WHAT THEY SAID...

DEPUTY MAYOR CR KEVIN DAVIES

“We have come up with what I feel is a conservative and balanced budget that will keep current services and infrastructure maintained in the coming year. Keeping the rate increase well below CPI was challenging given the current economic climate where everyone is feeling the pressure of everyday living expenses and increasing cost of materials. I would like to thank all staff for their input into preparing the budget and for delivering the maintenance and capital works around the shire.”

CR LENORE WYATT

“In short, let’s not sugarcoat this – as a council, we have had to make some tough decisions but that is what you actually elect us for. It is vital that we continue to support our community and community organisations and groups and we have made a concerted effort to deliver a limited rate increase for residents while providing essential services, infrastructure, development and community programs that are essential to keep our community’s liveability front of mind.”

CR DANNY BIRD

Operating Highlights

ROADS AND TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

$3.14M – Road maintenance

$500,000 – Bridge maintenance

HEALTH AND REGULATORY SERVICES

$918,000 – Local laws and environmental health

$320,000 – Planning

$234,000 – Building and plumbing

PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT

$2.91M – Parks, gardens and reserve maintenance

$559,000 – Biodiversity protection

COMMUNITY FACILITIES, CULTURE AND LIBRARIES

$2.04M – Community facilities and Council buildings

$1.02M – Library operations

$804,000 – Swimming pools operation and maintenance

$625,000 – Community partnerships and events

$236,000 – Community development and engagement

WASTE, WASTEWATER AND WATER

$5.43M – Waste

$2.60M – Wastewater

$4.73M – Water

This has been a difficult term with Covid first then the current interest rates cracking around eight per cent. We have actually delivered a budget here that is sustainable but we’ve kept it (rises) under two per cent extra (than was forecast) which is phenomenal, while maintaining our services. I think a big part of that is our staff and the feedback from them and how to achieve efficiencies and that’s the big reason that we were able to keep it (rises) at a minimum.”

CR LOCKY BENSTED

“There’s not a business in the world, or even a not-for-profit that’s not had to have an increase (in prices) – we are not immune, even the humble stamp has gone up. It shows that no matter what we do in this economic environment, there’s an increase (needed) and the fact that our staff and that we, who sit around this table, all live in this shire, we have to deal with the implications of increases. External pressures that we face are out of our control and we have had to have increases to ensure that council remains (financially) sustainable.”

CR MARY GRAHAM

“Financial sustainability – that’s we’re at and that’s what we’re looking for and I think with this budget, we have covered that and managed to keep our works program going. At the end of the day, we need to thank our staff, from top to bottom, because without their continued support, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

MARIO MLIKOTA

“We, as a council, are acutely aware of the financial difficulties and pressure currently facing our residents as evidenced in costof-living pressures, mortgage and loan repayments, rising insurance and energy costs, amongst others. Council is not immune from these inflationary pressures of around seven per cent. With this in mind, council has delivered a responsible, realistic and restrained budget. We are faced with spiralling costs of materials, rising operating costs and interruptions to supply chains but we also realise we need to be patient and ride out this economic storm.”