GOLDEN Plains Shire Council has approved their 2019-2020 draft budget.<\/p>\n
The council is aiming to maintain and improve infrastructure and service quality and deliver community projects of value with the next financial year.<\/p>\n
Golden Plains Shire Mayor, Cr Owen Sharkey, said the budget addresses concerns raised by shire residents over the last few years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s draft budget is a strong financial plan to deliver the projects, services and infrastructure that supports what our residents and ratepayers have told us they want, need and deserve, now and for the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn our rate-capped environment, council\u2019s draft budget is a responsible plan that respects every dollar of ratepayers\u2019 money, and it\u2019s a fair budget that better balances the collection of rates and delivers the benefits across Golden Plains.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building more new projects than ever, and Council\u2019s success attracting government funding grants means we\u2019re able to redirect money and deliver more projects for the people of our shire, this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
2019\u2019s largest council investment is $3 million to maintenance and renewal of extensive rural roads and bridges.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn our large Shire, council maintains more than 1,744km of local roads across Golden Plains, as well as lobbying for government investment in much-needed transport infrastructure to safely serve the needs of our residents and travellers,\u201d Cr Sharkey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this year\u2019s draft budget and in direct response to what residents have told us they want, council has significantly increased its commitment to improving, resealing and resheeting local roads, and new infrastructure including bridge replacements, kerbs and channelling, and widening existing roads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Base rates for Golden Plains residents are set to rise in this budget from $225 to $300. Cr Sharkey said the state government\u2019s rate collection system is \u201cunfair\u201d and that\u2019s why council is more equitably distributing the \u201cburden\u201d of their rates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Municipal Charge, which is the base rate paid by every household, will increase,\u201d he said. \u201cWith the 2.5 percent rate cap locked in, council will not collect any more rates money by raising the Municipal Charge, it just means that less of the rates payment is subject to variations of house valuations, and that\u2019s a small step in the right direction to make the rates system fairer for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The draft budget is on public exhibition at Golden Plains Shire\u2019s three Customer Service Centres and on the shire\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
“We encourage all residents to make a written submission and everyone is welcome to present their submission at the special budget meeting,\u201d Cr Sharkey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time, council is also holding two budget drop-in sessions in May, one in the north of the Shire and one in the south, so people can come along and have their budget questions answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage all residents to get involved and have their say on this year\u2019s draft budget.\u201d<\/p>\n