GANNAWARRA Shire Council has adopted its 2023-24 budget, but one councillor believes it will be “re-evaluated” later in the year.
The budget highlighted about $38 million of capital works, of which $25 million is devoted to repairing flood-damaged infrastructure.
The council will generate $65.5 million revenue through rates, charges and grants, with a $30.2 million operating surplus predicted due to grants being provided earlier than anticipated.
Mayor Charlie Gillingham said the council had been “fiscally” responsible in developing the budget.
“(We have) balanced the need to maintain facilities and providing services, with our our focus for the next 12 months being to exercise responsible financial management, sustainability and equity,” he said.
“The 2023-24 budget also complies with the State Government’s Fair Go Rates system, which states that the total revenue raised through municipal rates cannot increase by more than 3.5 per cent compared to the previous year.”
Four residents provided feedback on the budget, including increased waste management charges, enhanced street lighting, lack of capital works in Leitchville and land acquisition.
Cr Ross Stanton said times were “getting tougher” for every family budget.
He said waste management was a “cost recovery” exercise.
“Costs increase so those costs we have to recover,” he said.
“Kerbside garbage collection is increasing 20 per cent on average due to costs increasing from council-owned landfill to privately operated sites and increases in contractors.
“As council, we can’t afford not to pass those costs on.
“It’s still a good budget and good things for the community to come.”
Cr Garner Smith said he would usually take a keen interest in the budget, but would take a “far closer look” later.
“I am thinking there will be a bit of a re-evaluation of this budget in the near future,” he said.
“I will take a far closer look at that one, which will count.”
Cr Smith acknowledged a comment from a Leitchville resident who highlighted the lack of planned capital works, no green or hard waste collections, upgrading the former tennis courts and walking track.
“They have a little bit of a point,” Cr Smith said.
“I’d love to see the community come up with some options, but council provided a good response.”
Cr Smith said the bottom line looked “very good” at $30 million, but was “misleading”.
“There is no fat in this budget,” he said.
“We need to be careful on a lot of the facts.
“The $30 million is the result of flood damage and money receiving for repairs, so don’t go thinking Gannawarra has a pile of coins.
“The main game is coming later in the year, about November.
“I’d be keeping my eye out because that is what will matter in the end.”
View the budget at www.gsc.vic.gov.au/budget.
Major 2023-24 budget initiatives
- Flood infrastructure repairs ($25 million)
- Sustainable Water for Quambatook Project ($1.9 million)
- Kerang CBD redevelopment stage 3 ($1.7 million)
- The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra project ($1.4 million)
- Kerang CBD redevelopment stage 4 ($1.3 million)
- Gravel road resheeting ($1.1 million)
- Sealed road rehabilitation ($1 million)
- Bitumen road resealing ($1 million)
- Community grants programs and project funding ($384,000)
- Kerb replacement ($174,000)
- Footpath replacement ($130,000)
- Koondrook levee design and construction ($103,000)
Community comments on budget
- Seems the waste management charges are going up and the services have been considerably cut. Don’t like the idea of having to take any glass bottles to transfer station with what we pay for rates. Here should be lot better service.
Council officers’ response: Waste management charges are based on achieving full cost recovery, where council seeks to recoup the cost of the service and does not make a profit. The full cost recovery process is to ensure this service remains financially sustainable in the long term. Regarding the proposed increases, GSC is currently working in response to a suite of Federal and State Government reforms which includes the standardisation of waste services across the state, including the implementation of separated ‘glass only’ service and future implementation of a ‘food organics and garden organics’ service and associated education. In addition there has been significant cost increase of waste disposal in the form of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) waste levy and negotiation of service contracts e.g. recycling sorting and acceptance.
- Kerang needs more street lighting and pavements not just pavement repairs.
Council officers’ response: Each year the capital works budget includes funding for footpaths, both renewal and new. If there are concerns about specific sections of footpath please lodge a request to council through the customer action request system. Requests for a streetlight can also be made through the customer action request system.
Streetlight requests are individually assessed with lights installed following a positive assessment and available budget. Street light faults can be reported to Powercor.
- Leitchville – no capital works planned, nor green or hard waste collections, recreation for old tennis courts, upgrading walking track, can a representative attend Progress.
Council officers’ response:
- Capital works – a key focus with this year’s budget was to increase funding for key assets like roads, bridges, footpaths, kerb and gutter and drainage. This was at the expense of specific grant dependent works.
- Green waste or hard waste collection – for a green waste service to be provided there needs to be a size of population to make the service viable. At this stage, Leitchville does not meet that criteria. Hard waste collections are not provided across the shire due to costs and the aesthetic view that unwanted hard waste on the nature strip presents.
- Recreation area – this project is grant dependent and whilst council will still advocate for this project and still has it in its long-term capital works, it will be dependent on gaining grants.
- Tracks and trails – this project is similar to the item above in being grant dependent.
- Acting director of community wellbeing and acting director of infrastructure and development will attend a future progress meeting.
- Congratulations to council for including $30,000 for tree planting in its capital works program. I look forward to seeing the implementation of this budget in future years. I recommend that council include an item for land acquisition over the Kerang levee bank in locations where this has not been done. For example, north of Leng Street.
Council officers’ response: The $30,000 is confirmed and is forecast in future years as well. Purchasing additional land will need to be a strategic decision aligned to a strategy like the Walking and Cycling Strategy or an eco-trail feasibility. The project would need to attract grant funding as well.
