Draft budget acts on community priorities
Council’s draft Budget 2023-24 invests $206 million to deliver services and maintain facilities our community relies on.
The budget seeks to maintain services and improve infrastructure while ensuring Council remains financially sustainable in the long term to continue to invest in the future generations of our people and communities.
Deputy Mayor, Cr Jude Dwight said in striking its 2023/24 draft budget Council has carefully weighed community priorities with what we can afford.
“The cumulative impact of rate capping since 2016 is placing pressure on our ability to deliver vital community services and capital works projects,” Cr Dwight said.
“Council continues to balance meeting the needs of our community with managing our resources to ensure our financial sustainability.
“We face significant pressure meeting increasing demand for services and facilities amid rising costs associated with construction materials, fuel, utilities and many of Council’s other expenses.
“This year we are delivering $1.4M in operational savings and had to make difficult decisions to delay some projects in order to ensure we manage our budget in a financially responsible way.”
The budget has been informed by feedback from the community about what is most important.
“This year, we brought consultation opportunities forward so we knew what was important to you before setting our budget,” Cr Dwight said.
“We heard that the most important things include maintaining and improving our parks, reserves and sporting facilities, providing safe local roads and paths, recreation and leisure facilities, community facilities and the environment and sustainability. Our budget invests a significant amount towards these priorities.”
Highlights of the capital works program include:
- $15.1M to upgrade and renew sporting facilities, including the Park Ridge Reserve Pavilion, Batterham Reserve and Egan Lee Sportsfield, Knox BMX track and Exner Reserve tennis courts
- $10.7M on roads and drains
- $4.7M to improve footpaths and cycling paths
- $3.8M in flood mitigation works, including Egan Lee Reserve and Gilbert Park Wetlands
- $1.04M in playground renewals and upgrades, including Tim Neville Arboretum playground, Kent Park, Pineview/Oaktree Rise Reserve, Castlefield Rise and Val Boyd Reserve
- $1.4M to replace streetlights with more energy efficient LEDs
In addition, the budget supports a number of important initiatives, including reducing food waste going to landfill.
“Food makes up 43% of all rubbish that goes to landfill in Knox. The new food and garden bin service will turn food scraps into compost and reduce harmful greenhouse gases,” Cr Dwight said.
The cost of the new food and garden bin service will be incorporated in the standard waste charge on your rates notice. The standard waste charge is $436 (including an 80L rubbish bin, 240L recycle bin and 240L food and garden bin) or $499 if you have opted for a larger 120L rubbish bin. Both options also include two hard waste collections and a fortnightly green bundled waste collection service.
Increases to waste charges will range from $5-$38 if you already have a green waste bin and $105-$138 for those who don’t. For most residents the waste charge will increase by $5. Council will be contacting retirement villages and owners corporations to make individual arrangements for units and apartments, which will be completed by November.
Overall rates revenue will increase by 3.5% in line with the Victorian Government’s rates cap. The budget includes a $100 rebate for pensioners at a cost of $1.2 million. This is on top of the state government rebate.
The final budget is expected to be adopted at the Council Meeting on 26 June 2023 when final property valuations will be known.
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