Revenue plan endorsed – Golden Plains Shire council meeting briefs

A MAJORITY of councillors endorsed Golden Plains Shire’s new rating differential within the revenue and rating plan.

The new rating differentials include that the municipal charge be reduced to $200, farm differentials be consolidated into one rate, the farming differential rate be reduced to 75 per cent and the residential differential to remain at 100 per cent.

The business, industrial and commercial differential will also remain at 100 per cent while the business, industrial and commercial differential in Bannockburn will remain at 130 percent, non-farm vacant land will remain at 205 per cent and non-developable vacant Land will remain at 100 per cent.

Crs Emma Robbins, Owen Sharkey, Sarah Hayden and Des Phelan supported the proposal.

“This rating differential represents a compromise,” Cr Robbins said.

“Members of the community have a range of different views on the most equitable way to distribute the rate burden and members of this council also differ on that.

“We don’t want any one group to shoulder a rate burden that is more than they can bear.”

Crs Gamble and Kirby voted against the motion and Cr Kirby foreshadowed an alternate motion where the intensive farms and farms less than 40 hectares would have a differential rate of 95 per cent while the rate for broad acre farming would be 75 per cent.

Cr Gamble said the new rating differential disproportionately affected young families.

“I don’t believe this is a compromise, I’m worried and concerned that one group in particular, the farmers, are benefiting far too much at the expense of residential,” he said.

“It doesn’t recognise the reality that the people who are suffering worse in our community are young families with big mortgages that stand to lose their home.”

 

Budget gets go ahead

All councillors endorsed the next financial year’s Golden Plains Shire budget which will see a rate cap of three per cent.

This is in accordance with the maximum rate cap set by the State Government.

The waste management fee will be $447 per household.

“The budget focus is to balance the financial sustainability with maintaining services and continued investment in projects that are valued by our community,” Cr Sarah Hayden said.

“We’ve had years of rising costs and impacts from natural disasters causing damage to assets”

The budget will create an operating surplus $7.6 million and overall underlying surplus of $77,000.

Projects supported in the budget include $650,000 for the Northern Streetscapes Project, $2.1 million for the Roads to Recovery Program, $600,000 for the Local Roads Improvement Program, $1.7 million for the TAC Road Improvements Program, and $1.2 million for the Wilgul-Werneth Road/Wurook Road bridge replacement.

 

Council plan makes progress

Councillors noted the progress towards achieving the year four, quarter three actions of the council plan.

Five out of 82 actions were listed as delayed or not started.

“A report such as this is useful in the overview of how we’re tracking, what we’re going well in and what we’re behind in,” Cr Gamble said.

“There are things that we are just missing out on because of lack of resources of funding, on the other hand there are masses of positive and highlights in this report.”

Cr Kirby said it was disappointing to see the Northern Streetscapes Program go to community consultation twice following delays.

“We did the three streetscapes programs up in the north twice and I just think it’s a bit of a shame because it cost our Shire money by going back to the community for consultation,” she said.

 

Flood mitigation contract awarded

Wellam Constructions have been awarded a more than $1.2 million contract to undertake flood mitigation works at Inverleigh.

The projects shortfall of more than $208,000 will be funded from the 2024-2025 capital program – gravel resheeting.

“I will express my frustration with just how long the process has taken,” Cr Gamble said.

“I recognise it is complex and challenging work to undertake.

“It highlights the importance of getting the drainage right in the first place.”

Following a significant storm in 2022 properties in the area were flooded.

“These poor people we just absolutely devastated by these floods and we were all there to see and hear the emotion,” Cr Kirby said.

“I would like to thank them for the follow up work they’ve done with council.”

 

Traditional Owner names proposed

Wadawurrung Traditional Owner names for three reserves on Golden Plains Shire will be exhibited for public feedback.

Bakers Lane Reserve is proposed to be named Yurritjarrapmili Wiyn Reserve in Teesdale, Barwon Leigh Junction Reserve is planned be called Bulawon Reserve in Inverleigh, and Moorabool River Reserve is proposed to be named Perridak Ngubitj Reserve in Batesford.

“It’s fitting that this item comes to us in Reconciliation Week because returning Traditional Owner language is an important act of reconciliation,” Cr Robbins said.

Following community feedback a further report will be presented to council.

 

Road management plan endorsed

The draft road management plan 2025 to 2029 has been endorsed for community feedback.

The document establishes how road conditions are managed and how roads classified in terms of hierarchy.

Cr Gamble encouraged the community to review the plan.

“I think many in the community would find this document plan engaging,” he said.

“It’s got many explanatory diagrams that are useful in understanding the issues and criteria and systems that council employs to assess and respond to road maintenance issues.”’

 

Council enters lease agreement

A proposal by Proptel, acting on behalf of Optus, to lease a portion of in Ackland Road, Lethbridge for 20 years has been approved.

The site has been identified for potential future use and construction will occur when required.

 

Councillor expenses under budget

Councillor expenses for quarter three of the financial year are under budget.

Councillors have spent 31 per cent of the annual conference and training budget, 21 per cent of allocated travel expenses, 16 per cent of the annual car expense budget and 35 per cent of funds allocated to IT and communications.