Media release - Council's draft budget

Mitchell Shire Council has released its 2017/18 Draft Budget, with the community now invited to have their say.

Roads are one of the community’s top priorities. The 2017/18 Draft Budget includes $4.29 million for road maintenance and improvements, as well as $2.66 million for new programmed roads projects.

The $77.67 million Draft Budget includes a $29.29 million capital works program, up from $25.18 million in 2016/17.

This includes $14.32 million worth of new programmed projects, plus $14.98 million of projects carried over from the previous Budget.

The works carried over are a result of Council’s advocacy work in 2016/17 to secure additional grant funding.

The 2017/18 Capital Works Program includes:

• Road upgrades - $2.66 million ($1.24 million grant funded)
• Bridge upgrades - $1.02 million ($400,000 grant funded)
• Waste Landfill capping and rehabilitation - $2.20 million
• Footpath works - $970,000 ($400,000 renewal works, $570,000 new works)
• Drainage upgrades - $300,000
• Building renewal and upgrades - $625,000
• Parks, Open Space and Streetscape new works - $1.98 million ($1.54 million grant funded)

Under the mandatory State Government rate cap, rates will rise by 2 per cent.

Meanwhile, Council has achieved its goal set in 2016 to reduce net operating costs by $4 million over two years - $2 million in 2016/17 and $2 million in 2017/18.

Mitchell Shire Mayor Councillor Rhonda Sanderson said the 2017/18 Draft Budget delivered some significant capital works projects and retained services which are important to the community, despite a financially constrained environment.

“Council has been disciplined and responsible in delivering this Budget, and our Capital Works Program will provide a host of new and carried forward projects that will have major benefits to our community, both now and into the future,” Cr Sanderson.

“Council understands that roads and footpaths matter to our community and that’s why we have invested heavily in theses area.

“We are spending almost double what we did last Budget on new footpaths and fixing footpath missing links.

“While it is disappointing that grant funding for roads has decreased, Council is investing $1.43 million on new programmed roads - $611,000 more than in 2016/17. That’s a 74.6 per cent increase.”

Cr Sanderson encouraged people to make a submission.

“We have listened to our community to develop this Budget in order to fund the projects and services that they have told us are important to them,” Cr Sanderson said.

“But if there is something we have missed, we would like to hear about it.”