Strategic plans lay out shire’s financial challenge

SURF Coast Shire councillors have warned hard financial decisions will have to be made for the municipality, and the public can see it for themselves in the People Place Future draft strategic plans now open for comment.

The council endorsed the release of the four plans – Community Vision, Council Plan including the Health and Wellbeing Plan, Financial Plan, and Asset Plan – developed as a requirement of the Local Government Act at a special meeting of council on Tuesday last week.

The Financial Plan 2021-31 notes that over the next 10 financial years, the shire will be in an unallocated cash deficit for five of them.

Starting from a $710,639 surplus in 2023-24, the forecast result of 2024-25 jumps to a $1.9 million deficit, with the deficit growing smaller to $621,543 in 2028-29 then returning to a $724,292 surplus in 2029-30 and a nearly $2.2 million surplus in 2030-31.

According to the comprehensive income statement, the shire is predicted to produce a deficit of between $2 million and $5.3 million each year from 2022-23 to 2029-30.

Cr Heather Wellington said the Financial Plan was “going to be a massive challenge for us”.

“There’s clearly a massive gap between what we propose and the resources we have available to us,” she said.

Cr Gary Allen commended the Financial Plan for “realistically assessing the shire’s financial position” and the constraints it placed on the council.

Cr Paul Barker said the community had an opportunity over the next three weeks to have their say on each of the plans.

“It’s important to understand we’re operating in a constrained environment and we don’t have an endless supply of money, so when they’re making their feedback – and I hope as many people can give feedback to all of these different plans – they consider how all of these plans are interlinked and function cohesively.”

The Council Plan contains seven themes which represent the top strategic focus areas for the council during its four-year term. They are:

• First Nations reconciliation
• A healthy connected community
• Environmental leadership
• Sustainable growth
• A robust and diverse economy
• Arts and creativity
• Accountable and viable council.

A 35-member representative panel of community members chosen through the shire’s People Place Future community engagement program prepared this vision for the shire: “From the hinterland to the coast, from the first peoples to the children of the future, we are an active, diverse community that lives creatively to value, protect and enhance the natural environment and our unique neighbourhoods. We will leave the Surf Coast better than we found it.”

The panel also presented a report containing a set of 10 principles to guide how the council, the community and other stakeholders should work to achieve the vision.

To download all the draft plans and provide feedback before August 24, head to the Surf Coast Shire’s website.

People can request printed copies of the draft documents and the submission form by phoning the council on 5261 0600.