DURING their regular meeting on Wednesday, 22 July, City of Ballarat councillors adopted the 2022\/23 budget.<\/p>\n
Following more than six months of community engagement, the City responded to 42 submissions with with three amendments included in the document.<\/p>\n
City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney commended municipality\u2019s level of community engagement, which started in November.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve actually gone through such a thorough process in my six years as a councillor,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our community\u2019s participation and also council\u2019s commitment to sustainable budgeting and responsible financial management, we see a budget focused on strong capital investment at the same time as protecting our natural environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Changes to the budget include the rescheduling of footpaths works, rates offsets and the potential for additional grants funding.<\/p>\n
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Rates rise official<\/strong><\/p>\n With the budget adopted, council implemented an average rate increase of 1.75 per cent in keeping with the State Government\u2019s rate capping policy.<\/p>\n CEO Evan King said the increase on municipal rates is necessary to offset the devaluation of the city\u2019s other sectors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a 26.9 per cent increase in residential property evaluation,\u201d he said. \u201cCommercial is at 7.6 per cent and industrial at 10.9 per cent. What we\u2019re seeing there is a fairly significant distribution of rates.<\/p>\n Mr King said the decision to up the rates for homeowners was not made \u201clight-heartedly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe absolutely understand the impact that rate rises have particularly on those on fixed price incomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cr Moloney said the increase is necessary to even out the city\u2019s industrial and commercial rates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s awful that someone gets to bear the burden here. It\u2019s falling partly to residents this time but we do need to address the pretty stark imbalance that we\u2019ve seen develop over probably the past decade,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Asset Plan adopted<\/strong><\/p>\n The Asset Plan 2022\/32 was endorsed by council, which will inform maintenance priorities for the City\u2019s facilities and infrastructure.<\/p>\n With $2 billion worth of assets, it is expected the municipality will spend more than $945 million over the decade on the plan.<\/p>\n The document takes a lifecycle approach to asset management, and Cr Belinda Coates said it represented steps towards \u201cgood practice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting a really good picture of those assets and really planning for future wellbeing of the city too,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just buildings and facilities. It\u2019s parks and gardens and it\u2019s imperative to our natural assets.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a really evidence-based way to track those things to the life and how we renew and replace is really positive.\u201d<\/p>\n Cr Peter Eddy said it was important for the municipality to know when to replace certain assets.<\/p>\n \u201cWe probably all are a bit scared of the retire word,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a reality that we need to have a good plan that boasts building and facility structures that have lived their life.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Caring for the future<\/strong><\/p>\n Council took on board the Municipal Early Years Plan 2022\/26 with an emphasis on supporting the health and wellbeing of Ballarat residents aged eight years and under.<\/p>\n This iteration is the fourth for the municipality, with the previous plan ending in 2018.<\/p>\n Cr Amy Johnson supported the plan, highlighting its encouragement of businesses to include child-friendly spaces.<\/p>\n \u201cI have noticed since COVID that a lot of businesses are less child friendly. You go to the doctor\u2019s, there\u2019s no more toys,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMost children probably feel less welcome now than they were previously, and I think that the days of believing are lesser than simply because they\u2019re younger than us are coming to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n She also said it was integral that children have access to material basics, particularly those impacted by family violence and disadvantaged environments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to encourage our children to be passionate. To be great citizens. They\u2019re all worthy goals but these kids basically have to survive first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs in do they have access to material basics, are they being loved and cared for? I really think we need to work harder as a city to do more for those kids.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n