By Matthew Sims
Hobsons Bay council has approved its 2022-23 budget, which included $123.5 million of revenue set to be raised from rates and charges, despite opposition from Cherry Lake Ward councillor Daria Kellander.
Cr Kellander called a division following the vote on Tuesday, June 28, with the other six councillors voting to approve the budget, which included $62.96 million of capital works.
While acknowledging that global inflationary pressures resulted in a reduction in council’s real income, Wetlands Ward Cr Matt Tyler said the budget reflected the council’s ambition for Hobsons Bay.
“We are ambitious in terms of what we see as being possible, and we pursue this ambition in partnership with our community,” he said.
Cr Kellander voted against the motion, describing the budget as “business as usual”.
She also cited the proposal to introduce parking meters along the Esplanade along Altona Beach as an unnecessary revenue increase.
“I understand that there are cost pressures on council but these need to be balanced against the cost pressures on our community,” Cr Kellander said.
She said there needed to be more funding committed towards roads and drainage and city amenity.
Cr Kellander said she was also “disappointed” that only one application for further funding from the public was successful.
Strand Ward Cr Pamela Sutton-Legaud said the budget was “very balanced”, as it incorporated allocations of $11.5 million into sports and recreation facilities and more than $2 million into environmental initiatives.
The budget outlined an operating surplus of $26.3 million, excluding capital works expenditure and a 1.75 per cent rate increase.
Capital works outlined in the 2022-23 budget would also include:
* $4.1 million to build a pavilion at J.T. Gray Reserve and install new floodlighting equipment;
* $3 million to fund the final stage of the Dennis Reserve Masterplan, including the construction of a new multipurpose community facility and car park; and
* $1.75 million to build a new sports pavilion, formalised car parking and irrigation works at H.C. Kim Reserve in Seaholme.
