Construction projects funded in Council's 2020-21 budget will create almost 700 jobs and deliver $254 million in benefit for an investment of $114 million.
Adopting the budget last night, Mayor Cr Nicole Seymour said Council's capital program will provide a critical stimulus for the local economy to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.
"This budget needed to strike a careful balance between maintaining our core services, supporting the people in most need and setting us up to recover from the pandemic.
"For every dollar we invest there are flow-on effects to the supply chain that provide a direct boost to the economy. Economic modelling has assessed the benefits from Council's capital program to be more than double our investment.
"This underlines the importance of Council maintaining its long term focus on community aspirations and continuing to invest for the future of our city," Cr Seymour said.
Highlights of the $114 million capital works program include:
- $20.55 million on sporting upgrades including $12.5 million towards new basketball courts at Knox Regional Sports Park
- $16.4 million on transport infrastructure including $10 million on road and footpath renewals
- $19 million to improve parks and reserves including playground and public toilet upgrades
- $9.78 million to refurbish community buildings including Carrington Park Senior Citizens Centre and early years facilities
- $4.61 million for flood mitigation works including creating wetlands within Egan Lee Reserve and the Koolunga Reserve catchment
Recognising the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, the budget also includes $3 million for a range of relief measures and resources to support recovery of the local community and economy. This will fund new initiatives to support people in need, stimulate local industry and economy, and boost business and community-led recovery activities.
"As we begin to plan for life after the pandemic, this budget acknowledges the need to shift our focus towards implementing stimulus projects and driving community recovery," said Cr Seymour.
"Our strong record of responsible financial management sees Council well-positioned to respond where support is needed most while still being able to deliver on our community's aspirations for the future."
The budget includes a 2% rate increase in order to fund relief and recovery measures, continue delivering essential services and complete long term projects. Payment assistance arrangements have been broadened to support households and businesses experiencing financial hardship.
