Council has voted to adopt the 2022/23 Budget, Council Plan 2021-2025 (2022/23 Update), long-term financial plan and a plan for managing its assets across the municipality.
The documents were adopted at a Council meeting on Monday 27 June 2022.
Maroondah Deputy Mayor, Cr Rob Steane, said the documents outline how Council will deliver on a number of key projects and initiatives over the short, medium and long term, as well as build on the initial work completed over the last financial year.
“The annual Budget will continue to support the community and local businesses with pandemic recovery and deliver on the Council Plan by continuing the progression of key capital works projects based on an extensive $51.69 million Capital Works Program,” Cr Steane said.
The Budget 2022/23 allocates funds towards Council’s service delivery, including $2 million for early years and youth development, education and care; $1.81 million for community wellbeing and supporting people with disabilities; $1.57 million for maternal and child health services; $1.79 million for the maintenance and renewal of Council’s 48 sportsfields.
A further $44.4 million will be spent on ensuring our $2.01 billion worth of community assets continue to meet current and future needs. This includes maintaining assets such as buildings, parks, bush reserves, playgrounds, roads, drainage pipes and more.
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Rob Steane said the Council Plan 2021-2025 (2022/23 Update) meets the requirements of the new Local Government Act 2020.
“The Council Plan provides a strong foundation for the continued rollout of services, projects and initiatives that will support the health and wellbeing of our community. It sets out Council’s key directions and priority actions for the medium term, working towards the aspirations of the Maroondah community looking ahead to the year 2040 as part of Maroondah 2040,” Cr Steane said.
The newly adopted 2022/23 Budget allocates funding for 36 major initiatives to be undertaken in 2022/23, as identified in the Council Plan 2021-2025.
Significant projects identified for delivery during 2022/23 include:
- Continued monitoring of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing responses aligned to community needs.
- Review, update and implement Council’s Physical Activity Strategy; and develop and implement an Indoor Sports Facilities (Basketball, Netball and Volleyball) Strategy.
- Implement Council’s Waste, Litter and Resource Recovery Strategy 2020-2030
- Design and construct activity centre carparks in Ringwood and Heathmont, and at Heatherdale station.
- Design and undertake a staged redevelopment of Karralyka
- Implement the Gender Equality Act 2020, including Council’s Gender Equality Action Plan.
For waste services to be delivered effectively and efficiently throughout the municipality and particularly for recycling, the charge for 2022/23, incorporating kerbside collection, green waste, the introduction of Food in Organics (FOGO) initiatives and recycling, will increase by just over 6 per cent from the 2021/22 level.
The Asset Plan, which has been developed in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, is a strategic document that informs the community on how its $2.1 billion worth of community assets are to be managed. This includes information about maintenance, renewal, acquisition, expansion, upgrade, disposal and decommissioning of assets under the control of Council over a rolling 10-year period.
“The 2022/23 Budget has been reviewed to take into account the financial outcomes of the previous two years resulting from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the ongoing impacts for this financial year. This includes a review of Council’s services, income and capital works projects, as well as a detailed review of the long-term Financial Plan,” Cr Steane said.
“The result is a Budget that ensures continuity of our 120-plus services and programs, longevity and protection of Council’s $2.01 billion in net assets, delivery of $51.69 million in extensive capital projects and a financially sustainable and affordable future for our ratepayers, with a modest underlying operating surplus of $2.1 million,” he said.
Highlights of the 2022/23 Capital Works Program include:
- Buildings $30.1 million – Includes Activity Centre Carpark Development Program at Heathmont and Ringwood ($23m); community facilities improvements ($4.3m); JW Manson Pavilion redevelopment ($1m); and community facilities accessibility improvements ($220,000).
- Roads $2.63 million – includes: local road renewal program ($1.2m) and kerb and channel replacement works ($680,000).
- Footpaths & cycleways $3.44 million – includes: Footpath replacement works ($1.15m); footpaths construction program ($1.3m); and disability footpath access ($305,000).
- Carparks $500,000 – Carpark improvement program ($500,000)
- Drainage $4.29 million – includes Stormwater drainage renewal program including but not limited to: Sherbrook Catchment Stormwater Upgrades Stage 3 ($1.8m) and Scenic Avenue Flood Mitigation Stage 4 ($850,000).
- Recreational, leisure and community facilities $1.2 million – Sportsfield lighting improvement program ($25,000); sports infrastructure renewal such as cricket nets, coaches boxes and scoreboards ($310,000); and golf course improvement program ($450,000).
- Parks and open space $2.20 million – includes: open space playground improvement program ($666,000); tree improvement program ($685,000); and footbridge and boardwalk improvements ($341,000)
View the Council Plan 2021-2025 (2022/23 Update) and 2022/23 Budget.
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