THE City of Ballarat has released its 2019-20 draft budget.<\/p>\n
Outlining the municipality\u2019s financial pathway for the 12 months from 1 July, the document sees rate increases are capped at the State mandated maximum of 2.5 per cent, there\u2019s also $3.5 million for LED streetlights, and $500,000 to begin delivering the tree canopy expansion.<\/p>\n
Mayor Samantha McIntosh said the budget is an effort to do a more with less and will be achievable due to a reduction in operational costs of 8 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost cutting has been achieved by organisational restructure for efficiency within the council and the use of new technologies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis enables us to deliver a number of projects that otherwise we would not have been able to do.<\/p>\n
It is a budget that provides vibrancy for our city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Budgeted income from city\u2019s ratepayers is set at the rate cap of 2.5 per cent imposed by the State government.<\/p>\n
The budget provides for significant items around infrastructure and future development.<\/p>\n
Spending on the environment will include $3.5 million for the installation of energy efficient LED street lighting across the city over four years.<\/p>\n
Greening the city will cost $500,000 every year for ten years to implement the urban forest strategy with an aim of a 40 percent tree canopy by 2040.<\/p>\n
Cr McIntosh said Wendouree and Sebastopol as well as the CBD will be priorities in the greening strategy.<\/p>\n
The big-ticket items on the budget include the first tranche of the $15 million three-year Bridge Mall and Bakery Hill precinct works project.<\/p>\n
Civic Hall will receive $2 million for stage two of the upgrade which includes the erection of a commercial kitchen and improvements to the stage.<\/p>\n
Next door the Ballarat Central Library is also on the receiving end of $1.9 million over two years for its first major upgrade in a quarter of a century.<\/p>\n
Council is responsible for maintaining $1.7 billion of assets, which includes a significant portion of ageing heritage infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cExtra funding will help us to keep pace with the need to maintain our suite of assets across the city,\u201d said Cr McIntosh.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo support this aim, the 2019-20 draft budget includes the introduction of a new policy which will see a minimum of 30 per cent of rate revenue dedicated to core capital works, allowing more capacity in the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
The community has 28 days to provide comments and feedback on the budget.<\/p>\n
The City of Ballarat\u2019s draft budget, Strategic Resource Plan, and Council Plan 2017-2021 amendments are now available online through mysay.<\/p>\n
ballarat.vic.gov.au. Submissions must be received at Ballarat Town Hall by 9am Monday, 17 June.<\/p>\n
All written submissions and presentations will be presented at a special council meeting to be held on Wednesday, 19 June at 7pm in the Town Hall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE City of Ballarat has released its 2019-20 draft budget. Outlining the municipality\u2019s financial pathway for the 12 months from 1 July, the document sees rate increases are capped at the State mandated maximum of 2.5 per cent, there\u2019s also $3.5 million for LED streetlights, and $500,000 to begin delivering the tree canopy expansion. Mayor […]<\/p>\n