By Luke Voogt and Natalee Kerr
Council’s draft budget ignores northern Geelong, according to ward councillor Anthony Aitken.
Cr Aitkin described the 2019/2020 budget on Tuesday night as “the most frustrating” in which he had been involved
“We put in 47 community budget bids, of which two were successful,” Cr Aitken said.
Mayor Bruce Harwood rejected Cr Aitken’s complaint, saying council had worked hard to achieve balance across the municipality.
“With this particular council the community is first and foremost. To hear anything different is just not true.“
A $115.6 million capital works package will be the centrepiece of the budget, which council released for public feedback this week.
The budget also includes a $250,000 master plan to “reinvigorate” the troubled Little Malop St mall and adjoining streets.
But ratepayers will fork out an extra $47.16, with a 2.5 per cent increase bringing average annual household rates to $1618.41.
With a turnover of $426 million, the proposed budget would deliver an underlying recurrent surplus of $1.2 million while supporting high levels of capital and non-capital projects, a council spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Torquay motorists could be winners in Surf Coast Shire’s budget, with a planned cash injection of $10 million for local roads.
The funding would support Torquay’s growing population, said 3228 Local Residents Association secretary Sue O’Shanassy.
“Our roads are going to get a lot more use, so the more money council allocates towards local roads the better.”
Mayor Rose Hodge referred to the budget as one of the shire’s “largest” capital works programs, with $20.3 million allocated across 51 projects.
Ratepayers face average 2.5 per cent increases to rates and waste collection charges.
The budget forecasts a surplus of about $18.9 million, $9.2 million less than last financial year.
Surf Coast Shire chief Keith Baillie said the budget was set under “significant financial challenges”.
