Delivering important initiatives

AMID high inflation and cost blowouts in the construction sector, tough decisions had to be made during last year’s Budget process.

While we still spent $174 million building new and upgraded community facilities during 2022-23, a number of previously budgeted projects had to be placed on hold due to cost escalations.

And with rate rises capped by the Victorian Government at just 2.75 per cent in the coming 2024-25 financial year – well under the rate of inflation – our financial challenges will persist.

In this environment, it is vital that we reduce our reliance on our rates base and explore every opportunity we can to fund these projects.

One of the best ways is to advocate for this region – which continues to be a hot spot for residential and commercial investment – to receive further support from other levels of government.

Council is continually lobbying our state and federal governments to support our growing population, and to help provide the infrastructure our communities need.

As part of this, we present initiatives, both big and small, that we can deliver together.

To this end, Council was really pleased to recently secure significant funding from the Australian Government for a range of community-focused projects.

The funds, provided via the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LCRI) Program, will help deliver several projects that were placed on hold last year due to rising costs.

It is fantastic that, after asking community clubs and groups for patience, we will now be advancing these important facilities.

The funded projects include the Aldershot Reserve dog park, which is a key element of the overall master plan for the St Albans Park reserve.

Council’s other fenced dog parks – in Corio’s Stead Park and alongside the Barwon River in Belmont – are very popular and provide great exercise and social opportunities for dogs and their owners.

The creation of a similar facility in our eastern suburbs will cater to a whole new section of our community.

Thanks to the Australian Government’s $852,133 allocation, site works will begin in the coming months.

The fenced park will feature a mixture of surfaces, with separate areas for active and passive dogs.

Works will also include external connecting paths, internal paths, landscaping, park furniture, fencing and drainage.

We have also leveraged the LCRI funding, and paired it with Victorian Government grants, to deliver two sports club initiatives.

One of these will deliver new cricket practice nets at Grinter Reserve, for Newcomb & District Cricket Club.

The $450,000 project received $350,000 from the Australian Government’s LRCI program and an additional $100,000 from the Victorian Government’s Sport and Recreation Victoria.

In the municipality’s far north, a planned expansion and upgrade of the netball facilities at Anakie Reserve will also go ahead.

We are using the Australian Government’s $312,867 contribution, and a $197,133 grant from the Victorian Government’s Country Football and Netball Fund, to build on previous major improvements at the reserve.

The works will create an extra court, plus sports lighting, players’ shelter and fencing, paving the way for a new era at the Anakie Football and Netball Club.

Cr Trent Sullivan

Mayor, City of Greater Geelong