City of Ballarat has released its Draft Budget 2022/23 and is inviting the Ballarat community to review and discuss the plans for the year ahead.
City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney and City of Ballarat CEO Evan King said the Draft Budget 2022/23 has been informed by community engagement processes along with Council’s commitment to sustainable budgeting and responsible financial management.
The consultation period for the Draft Budget began in November 2021, when the City of Ballarat asked residents to rank the Council Plan’s six goals in order of priority and then provide their top five priorities from the 40 strategic objectives.
Cr Moloney said the number one priority for Ballarat residents is to be more sustainable while also delivering key infrastructure and services.
“It was clear from your feedback, whether it be face to face, online or through our mySay consultation, that the number one priority for Ballarat residents is to create an environmentally sustainable future,” he said.
“As part of our work in improving resource efficiency across our municipality, we are investing $6.4 million on sustainable capital projects.”
Cr Moloney said the consultation process also revealed that residents want targeted investment into our city’s roads, footpaths, cycling infrastructure while also delivering important services like waste collection.
“This is a Budget that gets back to basics,” he said. “To achieve this, we are investing $47.6 million into our city’s natural and built assets. Putting shovels in the ground, we will continue upgrading roads, bridges, foot and bike paths, along with our sporting ovals and community hubs to create a better more connected Ballarat.
“This year’s average rate increase of 1.75 per cent is in line with the State Government’s Fair Go Rates system which provides local government with an ability to keep up with growth in costs in the economy.
“The decision to raise rates in line with the cap was not taken lightly, but it allows us to partially cover the increases in costs Council experiences in continuing to deliver the critical infrastructure and services needed to support our growing community.”
City of Ballarat CEO Evan King said the Draft Budget is balanced, financially sustainable, but has an eye to the future.
“This Draft Budget has a focus on sustainability yet remains committed to building the infrastructure that is necessary to cater for a growing city,” Mr King said.
“The significant infrastructure investment will also stimulate the municipality’s economy by creating jobs and encouraging spending.”
Mr King said the Draft Budget has been prepared through a rigorous process of review and is aligned to the vision and objectives outlined in the Council Plan.
“The budget process has been open and transparent, and the draft Budget has undergone many reviews and changes to achieve a balanced and fiscally responsible position,” he said.
“The City of Ballarat’s sound financial position, despite COVID-19, means Council is in a secure position to borrow funds for some identified long-term projects that create new assets for the city.”
Cr Moloney said the Draft Budget also ensures more equitable and targeted investment into community infrastructure projects.
“This is a Draft Budget influenced by Ballarat people for Ballarat people,” he said. “By engaging our community last year, this early input has had a direct impact on the development of the Draft Budget with clear sustainability a focus.”
“Our community has always been our focus, and now more than ever before, we need to invest in the city you love while delivering the projects and goals we promised.”
The City of Ballarat will be hosting two Community Consultation Sessions at the Ballarat Town Hall on Monday 2 May between 1 – 2pm, and Thursday 5 May between 5 – 6pm.
To view the City of Ballarat Draft Budget 2022/23 and explore consultation details visit https://mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au/
Printed copies of the City of Ballarat Draft Budget 2022/23 can be found at Customer Service and Ballarat Information Centre.
The Draft Budget was considered at Wednesday night’s Council Meeting, and will now be put out for submissions until Friday 20 May at 5pm.
