Hobsons Bay council has adopted its 2014-15 budget, with some significant changes.
An extra $180,000 has been allocated for the Maltese Association Hobsons Bay to expand its car park in Collins Avenue, Altona East.
Plans to increase parking fees in Nelson Place, Williamstown, from $3 to $3.30 an hour, have been scrapped (see page 4).
The average residential rate rise has been lowered from 5 per cent in the draft budget to 4.8 per cent in the adopted version. And the pensioner rebate has doubled to $50. Other changes include $190,000 for a bike path in Maddox Road, Newport, and $30,000 allocated for Christmas decorations.
Strand ward councillor Paul Morgan voted against the budget, expressing concerns about the council’s new $7.3 million loan, which brings Hobsons Bay’s debt up to $16.5 million as at June 30, 2015.
Of the new borrowings, it was revealed that $2.3 million was for the purchase of the former Laverton Primary School.
The rest is to accelerate the council’s $30.5 million capital works program. Last week’s council meeting heard that the new amount borrowed was an interest-only loan with the money to be repaid in full within seven years.
By comparison, neighbouring Maribyrnong council increased rates by 4.7 per cent, with no new borrowings. It expects to have a $3.5 million debt as at June 30, 2015.
Brimbank put rates up 6.65 per cent and borrowed $10 million to owe a total of $54.8 million.
Members of the public gallery applauded as the Maltese Association learned it would get its long-awaited car park. Currently, the association’s centre has six spaces for about 700 members. As reported by
Star Weekly, dozens of angry Maltese community members last month confronted the council after missing out on budget funds for a seventh year.
Strand ward councillor Angela Altair issued a personal apology to the Maltese community.
“I personally want to say sorry that we’ve had to get them to put in so many submissions over the many years,” she said. “I don’t know why we’re dragging our feet on that.”
