Proposed budget release for public comment

Published on 08 April 2021

Campaspe Shire Council’s $81.9 million proposed 2021-2022 budget is on public exhibition, with members of the community invited to provide feedback until 5pm, Friday, 14 May.

“I am pleased to present this prudent and financially-responsible draft budget to the community with an allocation of $57.5 million for service delivery and $28.4 million for capital works,” Mayor Cr Chrissy Weller said.

“Amid the financial pressures of rate capping, rising costs of service delivery and ongoing challenge of securing external revenue streams, it is pleasing that we have struck a budget that will maintain services at current levels and continue our comprehensive capital works program.

“A great deal of time and effort has gone into preparing this budget across the past six months and I acknowledge the hard work of Council staff and my councillor colleagues in this endeavour.

“In our quest to achieve financial sustainability for Council in the longer term, our collective focus in preparing the proposed 2021-2022 budget has continued to be on finding cost savings where possible through an ongoing review of services and assets, and making improvements to productivity and efficiency.

“The result is a practical, ‘business as usual’ financial blueprint that will see Council using its resources efficiently and effectively to deliver the best outcomes for the community as together, we recover from the negative financial impacts of the pandemic.”

The budget has been developed in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System, with rate revenue capped at 1.5 per cent. Rate income accounts for about half of Council’s revenue stream at 48 per cent and allows Council to continue delivering more than 100 programs to the community every year.

Accounting for 7 per cent of Council revenue, waste charges will fund the collection of kerbside bins, paying the Victorian Government’s landfill levy, operation of transfer stations, monitoring of former landfills and collection of street litter bins.

Other revenue streams include grant programs (25 per cent), user fees (18 per cent), statutory fees and fines (2 per cent) and interest from investments (1 per cent).

The capital works program of the proposed 2021-2022 budget is valued at $28.4 million for delivery of 78 projects across the shire.

This allocation does not include funding for carry over projects or components of larger projects to be delivered across multiple financial years, such as the Colbinabbin Groves Bridge replacement, Echuca East Community Precinct development and Gunbower Lions Park upgrade. Spreading the component funding of larger projects over several financial years for the life of the project enables flexibility of funding for a broader range of projects to be delivered each year.

Capital Works Program

This budget supports a Capital Works Program detailing 78 projects, including the following examples:

Roads $10.8 million

$2,500,000   Gravel resheeting of local roads

$1,100,000   Resealing of local roads

$1,000,000   Resheeting gravel road shoulders of multiple sealed local roads

$1,714,500   Sturt Street, Echuca, road reconstruction and drainage works, between Pakenham and Anstruther Streets

$686,000      Fenaughty Street, Kyabram, road reconstruction between Saunders and Mitchell Streets

$250,000      Senior Citizens and Kindergarten, Rushworth, carpark access and safety improvements including additional disability spaces

$429,500      Torrumbarry Weir Road, Torrumbarry, road safety works

Public buildings $2.7 million

$80,000        Victoria Park, Echuca, design for changerooms

$507,000      Echuca & District Livestock Exchange, removal of concrete loading ramp, modification to columns, roof compliance works, and chemical storage area

$45,000        Tongala Tennis Clubrooms, design and scoping for remedial works to the roof, floor and brickwork

Footpaths & cycleways $4.2 million

$733,500      Footpath replacement program for multiple sections across the shire

$440,000      Breen Avenue, Kyabram, 1.8km section of walking/cycling trail

$1,100,000   Construction of ‘missing link’ footpaths shire wide

Recreation $1.1 million

$670,000      Kyabram Recreation Reserve, replacement of netball courts and cricket boundary net

$20,000        Echuca & District Netball Courts, seat replacement

$30,000        Rochester Recreation Reserve, design for lighting upgrade at the Moon Oval ($630,000 project planned across future years)

$45,000        Kyabram Northern Oval, upgrade to oval drainage

$305,000      Netball court asphalting and flexi-pave program at Lockington, Toolleen, Victoria Park and Gunbower

Stormwater & flood control $860,000

$310,000      Open drain replacement program

$520,000      Rural culverts, pits and pipes replacement program

$30,000             Rutley Crescent, Echuca, design for drainage upgrade works

Land improvements

$2,200,000   Aquatic Reserve, Echuca, upgrades to the reserve and Onion Patch ($5 million project planned across future years, pending government grants)

Community Feedback Invited

“Preparation of the annual budget is one of Council’s most important strategic responsibilities. I encourage members of the community to review the proposed 2021-2022 budget and provide any feedback they would like Council to consider prior to considering formal adoption of the budget in late June,” Cr Weller added.

The key dates for the budget submission, consideration and adoption process are as follows:

• Wednesday, 7 April - proposed budget released for public comment
• Friday, 14 May, 5pm - public submissions close. All submissions must be in writing.
• Wednesday, 26 May, 5.30pm - hearing of submissions. Council staff will work with submitters who wish to speak to their submission, which may be via teleconferencing, depending on COVID restrictions of the day.
• Wednesday, 16 June, 6pm - Council meeting to consider adoption of budget.