By Cr Peter Hemphill
The Hobsons Bay 2022-23 annual budget that was approved by a meeting of councillors last week demonstrates how councils can meet the needs of their community while being financially responsible.
Importantly in these difficult times, we’ve got the balance right as we support our community to recover from the social and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As one of my fellow councillors pointed out when supporting the budget, the rate revenue collected by councils usually stays in the community it comes from, unlike the taxes collected by the other levels of government.
It helps us provide more than 100 community services in Hobsons Bay.
These range from our libraries, community centres and arts and culture programs through to essential services such as waste and recycling collections, as well as those that support people with disability, the elderly and our young people.
Our budget also includes $62.961 million for building and maintaining infrastructure, such as sporting facilities, open spaces, roads, footpaths, cycleways and playgrounds.
While our budget gets the balance right in terms of spending, saving and raising revenue, it also supports our ambition to deliver major projects that will bring economic, environmental and social benefits to our community.
Through the budget, council has signalled its intention to make significant financial contributions to these projects through the establishment of two additional funding reserves that will support the Western Aquatic and Leisure Centre, the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre, and a newly established property development funding reserve.
Council is seeking a three-way funding partnership with state and federal governments for the $60 million investment needed to deliver the aquatic centre at Bruce Comben Reserve in Altona Meadows.
We will also contribute $5 million to the wetlands centre if the state and federal governments commit to the remaining $11 million.
While these future assets will serve the whole Hobsons Bay municipality and beyond when they are established, the budget will also fund some more immediate local projects.
In my own Strand Ward, I’m pleased to see $3 million funding for the Dennis Reserve multipurpose pavilion, $1.45 million over two years for an upgrade to Newport Park District Park and $1.6 million over two financial years for an upgrade of the Mary Street Reserve in Spotswood.
All these projects, big and small, short and long-term, will make a positive contribution to our wonderful community.
