Shire passes budget with record capital expenditure program

THE Surf Coast Shire has made minimal changes to its draft budget for the 2023-24 financial year.

The council resolved to adopt the final budget and approve the fees and charges schedule at its meeting on Wednesday this week.

The headline figures of the budget remain the same as the draft version released for public comment on April 20: a net deficit in 2023-24 of $18.3 million largely driven by the legislated transfer of assets to the Great Ocean Road Coasts and Parks Authority; a rate rise of 3.5 per cent in line with the state government’s rate capping regime; and $12.5 million of borrowings as of June 30, 2024.

The proposed record $36.4 million capital expenditure program is unchanged. Projects include:

• Coombes Road-Messmate Road intersection upgrade, Eastern Reserve ($318,000)
• Stribling Reserve netball courts renewal ($162,000)
• Karaaf Wetlands improvement works ($2 million), Anglesea Ward unsealed road renewal program ($303,000)
• Surf Coast Highway-Bristol Road intersection upgrade ($2.7 million)
• Pathways improvement in Winchelsea’s Anderson Street ($102,009), and
• Mountjoy Parade footpath renewal from Bay Street to Beal Street in Lorne ($47,000).

The shire received 16 submissions during the public exhibition process, mostly with requests for funding projects.

A request for residential rates to be increased by 3 per cent instead of 3.5 per cent and to build the Spring Creek Valley basketball pad were rejected, but a proposal to set up an artwork register and an ongoing artwork maintenance budget allowance was approved.

The officers’ report to councillors notes the draft budget report was prepared using the Valuer-General’s preliminary 2023 valuations but these have all been updated with the final valuations, and all statutory fees were increased by the statutory indexation of 4 per cent on May 23.

Speaking at the meeting, Cr Mike Bodsworth said the budget obviously had a large emphasis on pool projects, in Torquay ($5.8 million for the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre) and $4.58 million for the Winchelsea Pool renewal.

He said the 3.5 per cent rate rise was about half the present rate of inflation, but extended his sympathies to any Surf Coast families who were doing it tough.

“For our council as well, the ability for us to be able to afford the work that we’re doing – our asset renewal, our capital works, our maintenance works, and all of our operations – is increasingly difficult.”

Cr Paul Barker said he could not support the budget as he did not believe it was economically sound and was “all the result of electing a largely Left, woke, progressive, whatever you want to call them council”.

“I hope those of you [in the council] that endorse this budget are happy when it pushes local staff in Surf Coast businesses to leave, resulting in reduced capacity of those businesses to service the residents and visitors of this municipality.”