Council’s budget continues to invest in intergenerational projects for
Published on 27 June 2024
Southern Grampians Shire Council adopted the 2024/25 Budget(PDF, 7MB), the Long-Term Financial Plan 2024-2034 and Pricing Register at an unscheduled council meeting yesterday.
Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor David Robertson said this year’s budget considers the balancing of finances and finding efficiencies while investing in the future of the region.
“This budget builds on the 2023/24 budget and establishes the program of work that will realise a bold vision for Southern Grampians Shire through the delivery of intergenerational major projects, as well as the broad day-to-day needs of our community through investing in key facilities and services. The challenge has been achieving this in a tightly constrained budgetary environment,” said Cr Robertson.
“It’s a balancing act to get the spend right for long-term projects we know will have significant impact for the future of our region, while also funding those community-based developments that will directly and immediately improve the lives of those across the Southern Grampians.”
Over the last three years, Council has undertaken a diligent and comprehensive program of reducing costs and improving operational efficiency which has not only ensured financial sustainability but is also enabling the delivery of multigenerational major projects that will transform the Shire. This focus on cost reduction and commitment to efficiency, ensures that Council is, and will continue to be, in a strong financial position enabling the delivery of key major projects including the Hamilton Streetscape, Hamilton Gallery, and the Community Hub within a 10-year period, leaving Council debt free at the end of that period, and with a cash balance of $12.6m in the bank.
Council has allocated funding in this budget and the Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) towards these major projects. The revitalisation of the Hamilton CBD streetscape will take place this financial year. With the design underway, Council has allocated $2m to commence construction with further funding included in the LTFP to finalise these works. The new Community and Government Hub, which includes the highly anticipated new Library facility, Digital Hub and offices will be step closer to reality with an allocation of $5m for the design and construction and further funding $10m included in the LTFP to finish this facility over the next three years.
Council has also set aside $875,000 to commence the design of the new Hamilton Gallery. This project is planned for completion in 2030, funded through a Council contribution of $10m and external contributions expected of $40m.
“Whether you are a gallery goer or not, the Emerging from Darkness exhibition held earlier this year demonstrated what a significant impact major exhibitions can have on our visitor economy. Hamilton Gallery holds one of the best art collections in Australia, yet the majority sits in storage due to a lack of space. A new gallery will allow us to leverage this collection for the benefit of the whole community, and, with the strength of our connections within the arts sector in Australia, allow us to attract major touring exhibitions,” Cr Robertson added.
Council also allocated funding in the 2024/25 Budget towards a number of community-identified projects all of which will provide far-reaching benefits to the Southern Grampians community.
“This year’s budget development process saw us change the way we received community feedback, with comments provided between November and January to help us determine where residents felt Council should prioritise spending. The earlier engagement process, paired with our survey conducted late last year, enabled Council to be better informed of residents’ priorities to help meld a budget based on the main concerns of the community it services.
“We received 34 submissions from residents and a number of business cases from Council officers, resulting in budget allocation for a number of community projects,” said Cr Robertson.
These include:
- Installation of Solar Lighting at Lake Hamilton
- Stair replacement at Nigretta Falls
- Drainage and irrigation works for the Melville Oval playing surface
- Purchase and Renovation of Glenthompson School
- Pedrina Park Cricket Nets replacement
- Hamilton-Coleraine Rail Trail Improvements
- Structure plans for Cavendish and Coleraine
Capital works of $20.625m are proposed for 2024/25, noting this does not include any prior year projects that will carry forward into this year. The capital works program is being funded by grants of $3m, sale of assets $5.64m, loans of $5m and retained cash and investments of $6.985m.
Council will increase rates by 2.75% across the shire, in line with the rate cap set by the Minister for Local Government to help fund the budget.
Council will continue to offer a two per cent discount for prompt payment of rates in accordance with the Section 168 of the Local Government Act 1989 where all four instalments of rates and charges declared for the current year (less the discount) are paid on or before the first instalment date, excluding any arrears of rates and charges outstanding from previous years.
Included on rates notices is the Fire Service Levy which is a charge imposed by State Government which Council must collect and pass on. Included in the recent State Budget was a substantial increase in the Fire Services Levy. This means for a median house price in Victoria of $750,000, the increase in both the variable and fixed component of the levy, will result in an increase to the annual payment by $37.75 from $159.50 to $197.25, or an increase of 23.7%. However, for higher value property such as farming land, the increase will be greater.
“We’ve also had to make the difficult decision to increase charges for municipal waste from $385 to $415. The increase to this service charge reflects the significant rising costs for Council to dispose of waste. We continue to operate our Transfer Stations and kerbside services as a cost neutral service and for this is the reason we’ve had to increase the fee,” said Cr Robertson.
“I know our community is continuing to feel the squeeze by the ongoing economic climate including those in the agricultural sector who are impacted by the recent drought, our local businesses, and also our residents just trying to make ends meet.
“Through this budget we have continued to do the best we can for our residents keeping the economy in mind and committing to those short-term and long-term projects that will contribute to a better experience locally, while putting the Southern Grampians on the map to entice visitor spending in our region.
“We’re anticipating a number of projects including Cox Street, Melville Oval, CBD streetscape planning and design, Community Hub design and upgrades for the Hamilton Skatepark being completed in this coming financial year so there is a lot to look forward within our region,” said Cr Robertson.