Liam McNally
Melton council has adopted its budget for 2023-24 centred around a $114 million capital works budget.
The average rate increase is 3.25 per cent or $1.05 per week, below the state government’s 3.5 per cent rate cap, with nearly half of all households seeing an increase less than that, according to council.
An $85 pensioner rebate will also be available to eligible property owners.
Roads were the biggest budget winner with $29.4 million allocated for upgrades including $10.35 million for the construction of Bridge Road, Cobblebank, $4 million to duplicate Hume Drive (stage two) Calder Park Drive to Gourlay Road, $3.75 million for urbanisation of Bulmans Road, Melton West.
The budget also includes $14.1 million to upgrade recreation, leisure and community facilities including $3.3 million to complete Diggers Rest community pavilion and oval two.
There are 18 community-initiated projects budgeted for a total of $1.6 million including more accessible parking spots, toilets in parks and community centres, new sports club upgrades and support for community festivals.
Also allocated is $14.2 million to upgrade local parks and streetscapes, $6.2 million for footpaths and cycleways and $231,000 for improving street lighting across the city.
The $239 million budget also delivers critical services including $8.3 million for social support for older people and people with a disability, $8.1 million for maternal and child health, $4.4
million for children, family and youth services, $4.9 million to support libraries and funding for much-loved community festivals including Djerriwarrh Festival, FlavourFest, Lakeside Alive and Carols by Candlelight.
Mayor Lara Carli said council has developed a “financially sustainable budget that will deliver essential services and the new and upgraded facilities our community expects”.
“With the City of Melton now the fastest growing municipality in Victoria, it’s more important than ever to deliver the high-quality infrastructure, programs, services our community needs to thrive,” she said.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed to our budget this year. Community feedback helps usto deliver a budget that is fair, sustainable and strikes the right balance between keeping the costs of living down while delivering better services for a growing community.”
Details: www.melton.vic.gov.au/budget.
