By Brendan Rees
In a time of “challenging circumstances” Casey residents face about a $40 average rise in their rates and waste charges under Casey Council’s draft 2020-’21 budget, totalling a record $536.7m.
However, council sets to claw back revenue lost during the coronavirus downturn as funds from facilities such as those at Bunjil Place, aquatic and recreation centres, family services, and parking fines, dwindle.
If the disruption period for Covid-19 continued until the end of September, one quarter of the council’s 2020-21 financial year will be “adversely affected”, according to council documents.
“This year we have prepared our budget under new challenging circumstances – with the full extent of Covid-19 not yet known,” Casey Council CEO Glenn Patterson said at the Tuesday 5 May council meeting where the draft budget was released for community consultation.
“Our focus remains on achieving a financially responsible budget that ensures that we are delivering and investing in much needed infrastructure for our community while at the same time balancing the needs of our residents, many of whom are experiencing hardship because of the pandemic,” he said.
Council documents also reveal its rates revenue will be affected due to households experiencing hardship – and will “likely need to consider the appropriateness of debt recovery actions in those circumstances”.
Currently, hardship options are available for ratepayers who can access deferments and waivers of up to $500 on their rate payments – with interest on all current overdue accounts having been suspended until 30 June.
Council has also taken up the position not to charge interest penalties on outstanding rates until June – a loss of about $400,000.
Meanwhile, council documents revealed $60m of rates from 2019-20 have yet to be collected this financial year.
Despite the challenges due to Covid-19, council maintains its “operating within 2019-20 budget parameters” with this year’s draft budget totalling $536.7m, which includes an operational budget of $405.1m – which will be delivered within the State Government’s compulsory two per cent rate cap.
Council proposes it will generate $206.6m through rates in its budget while a further $42.3m is expected from the waste service charge, together with $3.4m of expected supplementary rates and charges expected to occur in the 2020-’21 financial year.
The $131.6m capital works program – down from $27.1m in 2019-’20 – includes continued construction of a new district level soccer and cricket facility at Botanic Ridge eastern playing fields, Botanic Ridge, and construction of new indoor netball facilities at Olive Road Reserve, Eumemmerring.
Other proposed works is construction beginning on the new $7.8m family and community centre at Elliston Estate, Clyde Village, and building renewal and upgrade works at Strong Drive Children’s Centre, Hampton Park ($1.33m).
Sporting families in Cranbourne North are among the big winners as council proposes to start works on a $9.4m district level soccer and cricket multipurpose community facilities at Tulliallan Estate.
It comes after council and residents were in a five-year tussle with the developer – who wanted to subdivide the land into housing. However, in July last year, council announced it had purchased the land for sporting facilities.
In major road projects, $3.25m is planned for the construction of Missens Road to Thompsons Road in Cranbourne West while a $442,070 will deliver the sealing of a road shoulder along sections of Manks Road in Clyde.
The median residential rates and waste charges bill is expected to rise from $1920 to $1960. The hike includes a proposed $12 rise in the waste charge – up three per cent – which is “largely due to the impacts of the global recycling crisis and market disruption,” Mr Patterson said.
The draft budget as well as council’s action draft council action plan – which sets out the key initiatives for the next 12 months to improve services – will be on public exhibition until Wednesday 3 June or visit: https://conversations.casey.vic.gov.au/budget2020-21
All submissions will be heard at a council meeting on 9 June, prior to the adoption of the budget and Council action plan on 23 June.
