Proposed budget available for community feedback

One of the biggest tasks each year for Council is to produce our budget.

This process is long but rewarding, particularly when the projects we have advocated so hard for get allocated funding.

In the northern suburbs, there is $600,000 for the Moorpanyal Park upgrade in North Shore, $250,000 for the construction of the Norlane Community Centre in 2024-25 and a further $1.35 million in 2025-26, while $500,000 will go towards facility upgrades at Windsor Park.

An additional $2 million via the Victorian government will go towards the delivery of female friendly change and pavilion upgrades at this venue, which serves as the home to the North Shore Football Netball Club.

There are also multiple projects in Lara and surrounding suburbs set to benefit from this budget in substantial ways.

These projects all hold significant meaning to the members of these organisations and the users of these facilities, and also to people of the northern suburbs more broadly.

It is so important as a representative of the Windermere Ward to ensure that the northern suburbs are well looked after in the budget, and I am pleased that this is the case again this year.

A lot of work goes into preparing the budget and Councillors take this responsibility incredibly seriously.Now, though, it is the community’s turn to get involved.

Throughout the pre-budget process we listened carefully to what the community’s priorities were.

As a collective, Councillors have done the best we can to ensure we have struck the right balance between meeting the needs of our community and our long-term financial sustainability.

Having done that, we have now endorsed the release of the budget for public exhibition and feedback.

Your thoughts and contributions are a vital part of our planning.

It helps us ensure our budget focuses on delivering services and investing in things that matter to our community.

Last year there was considerable feedback on several matters that Councillors heard loud and clear, with the necessary changes made to reflect the community’s wishes.

This highlights why it is so important to speak up and engage in this process.

We can only act on what we are told, so please visit the ‘Have Your Say’ page on the City website and let us know your thoughts.

The proposed budget is available for community feedback until 5pm on Wednesday 22 May via geelong.link/Budget24-25.

All submissions will be considered before the final budget is presented to Council for consideration during our June meeting.

Cr Sarah Hathway

Windermere Ward