2021/22 Draft Budget

Strathbogie Shire Council’s 2021/22 Draft Budget has been developed with community priorities at the forefront.

Through Council’s community engagement program – Share Strathbogie – Councillors and Council Officers have been working with the community to understand their values, priorities and ensure these are reflected in the Draft Budget.

For the first time Council is also launching an innovative ‘Pitch My Project’ program where the community can pitch its ideas for inclusion in the Final Budget.

The community is encouraged to share feedback on the 2021/22 Draft Budget by visiting Council’s new online engagement hub www.share.www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au, which will launch on Friday, April 23.

Strathbogie Shire Mayor Cr Chris Raeburn said participants could help Council prioritise capital works projects, share their feedback by making a submission and pitch their project ideas.

Strathbogie Shire Mayor Cr Chris Raeburn said Council had worked hard to ensure the community was at the heart of this year’s Draft Budget.

“Through our Share Strathbogie sessions, we have heard our community’s priorities and we believe our Draft Budget reflects this,” Cr Raeburn said.

At each Share Strathbogie session participants were able to complete an exercise that allowed them to prioritise Council services and infrastructure.

Participants were given 200 points and were asked to put their points towards the infrastructure and services that mattered to them.

“Our 2021/22 Draft Budget provides for an operating expenditure of $29.7 million to fund services. This includes $7.545 million to roads, drains, bridges, and footpaths, $153,000 to sustainability initiatives, $1.211 million to parks and reserves and $914,000 to planning,” he said.

This year’s Draft Budget provides $17.05 million in new capital works that includes $3.804 million in roads, $1.4 million for bridges and culverts, $891,000 for pedestrian bridges, $986,000 for recreation, leisure and community facilities and $331,000 for parks, open spaces and streetscapes.

“This includes some fantastic projects like an upgrade to the Nagambie-Locksley Rd Bridge, a new Council website, a splash park in Nagambie, funding for the Strathbogie Recreation Reserve Pavilion, foothpath works in Avenel and Violet Town and significant funding contributions towards the Rockies Pedestrian Footbridge in Euroa and new netball courts in Longwood,” he said.

Cr Raeburn said the Draft Budget set Council’s fees and charges for the next year, along with the capital works program, the money Council spends on services and the resources needed to deliver these services.

This year’s Draft Budget proposes a 1.5 per cent increase in the average rate per property, which is in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates legislation.

“Council believes this year’s rate increase is needed to support the important projects and services offered by Council to our community,” Cr Raeburn said.

“We do not believe continuing to set rates at zero is financially responsible and we need to ensure a sustainable future for our Shire.”

Waste charges will also increase by two per cent to fund the collection and disposal of waste, along with the detailed design, costings and rehabilitation of the Violet Town landfill.

He said all community members are encouraged to have their say on the Draft Budget by going online and filling out the submission form, by writing a submission and mailing it to Council, or emailing Council directly.

Copies of the Draft Budget will be available on Council’s website and online engagement hub or hard copies can be provided by request.

Submissions will close at 5pm on Monday, May 24, 2021.

Have your say

Our new online engagment hub www.share.www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au will launch on Friday, April 23. In the meantime you can have your say by:

• emailing info@strathbogie.vic.gov.au
• writing to us at PO Box 177, Euroa VIC 3666.

Submissions close at 5pm on Monday, May 24, 2021.

Read the Draft Budget here

Read the Share Strathbogie Engagement Report