3.5% rate increase underpins Shire budget

THE Golden Plains Shire’s draft budget for the 2023/24 financial year is now open for community feedback.

The budget was approved for public viewing by councilors at their meeting on Wednesday, 26 April and it is open for feedback until 9am on Monday, 29 May.

The final version of the budget will be presented to council at the regular Tuesday, 27 June meeting.

Mayor Cr Brett Cunningham said the document had been created through an extensive process of consultation with the Golden Plains Shire community.

“The draft budget presents the financial plan for the next year and outlines council’s commitments to services, projects and programs over the next financial year,” said Mr Cunningham.

“As we move into the final stages of finalising the budget, we would like to invite residents to an online forum where they can ask questions and share their views about the budget and learn about the process for finalising the budget.

“Community feedback is the important next step in the budget process, and I encourage all community members to share their thoughts.”

A key issue in this year’s budget is a 3.5 per cent overall rate rise, the maximum any municipality can take in Victoria without special permission from the State Government,

It’s two per cent more than the 1.75 per cent ump in the 2022/23 financial year.

A 3.5 per cent rate increase would be the highest jump in more than six years but could put the Shire in $400,000 surplus at the end of the year.

If this increase was dropped to 2.5 percent, the surplus would decrease to $62,000.

“Part of the reason for keeping the rate increase at 3.5 per cent is due to the economic climate at the moment, and at the moment we are seeing really high pressure come to us,” said Cr Helena Kirby.

“Overall, I think it’s a very good budget and we are being very conservative with what we are doing.

“We don’t just have a bucket full of money.”

Along with the 3.5 per cent rate rise, there’s plans to make $50,000 available in financial support to those affected  by the increase.

The current economic climate has created a rise of 11 per cent in utility costs and 11 per cent in civil construction costs that could flow onto Shire projects.

In total, $49.1 million is listed to deliver more than 70 projects in the area.

Cr Owen Sharkey said that while the municipality can remove items from the budget to reduce costs, this means people will miss out.

“There are many little things in the budget that are there, and residents maybe don’t have a strong appreciation of what we have to pay for,” he said.

“There’s lots in there from the rates point of view, so it’s going to be very, very good to see what the community feedback is on some of these things.”

As part of the community consultation process, an online forum will be held between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, 17 May to answer budget questions.

On Tuesday, 6 June at 6pm council will hold a special meeting and anyone who lodges a written submission will be able to request councilors consider it then.

The draft budget can accessed via the Golden Plains Shire websites and hard copies can be collected from municipal customer hubs.

Submissions can be posted to the director corporate services, Golden Plains Shire, PO Box 111, Bannockburn, 3331 or emailed to [email protected] and submitted via the Shire’s website.