Approaching the year ahead with financial responsibility while maintaining vital community services forms the basis of Hume City Council's Annual Budget for 2023/24.
The final budget was adopted by Council at its meeting on Monday 26 June, and aims to target the areas where support is needed most.
Council's Annual Budget 2023/24 includes significant investment in libraries, leisure centres, preschools, maternal and child health and aged and disability programs.
This is complemented by a responsible four-year capital works program investment in city infrastructure, with a strong focus on community facilities, transport infrastructure and parks and reserves as we are Building a Better Hume.
Following community consultation, we've heard locals' concerns around the annual rate increase, and understand that the above community provisions come at a cost to the ratepayer as our municipality continues to grow at a rapid pace, and the cost of services increase.
Council's general rate increase of 3.5% is in line with the Victorian Government's established Fair Go Rates System, and we continue to review the services provided as well as the way they are provided to ensure that they are delivered as efficiently as possible.
Our efforts are underpinned by the drive to create a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Hume City, that upholds the rights to social justice for our customers.
Council's Annual Budget 2023/24 commits to:
More than $600 million in community facilities, roads, footpaths, parks and reserves over the next four years, including $128.33 million in 2023/24.
$38.09 million to improve, upgrade and develop new buildings, including continued works for the upgrade of the former Craigieburn Leisure Centre to a new indoor sports facility,, completion of the Kalkallo Central Community Hub, $20.01 million to construct, upgrade and maintain roads across the City, $6.50 million for footpaths and cycleways and $18.05 million for car parks.
$26.78 million for land improvements, including park and reserve upgrades, construction of sporting fields and more. This includes completion of the four rugby league and touch football pitches at the Bridges Recreation Reserve, Craigieburn and beginning construction for the playing fields at Greenvale Recreation Reserve.
The economic management of infrastructure spending allows Council to provide $305.88 million to meet the growing demand for a variety of day-to-day services over the next 12 months to:
Collect more than 92,000 tonnes of kerbside waste, recycling and organics.
Provide 21,000 hard waste collections;
Undertake more than 43,725 kilometres of street sweeping;
Remove close to 6,000 square metres of graffiti;
Provide 100,000 hours of domestic assistance, personal care and respite care for aged residents;
Deliver more than 20,000 meals for people in need;
Host more than 1.2 million visits to our leisure centres;
Loan more than a million library items to over 18,000 Hume Libraries members.
Deliver more than 26,000 immunisations.
Coordinate 46,000 maternal and child health consultations;
Register more than 2,000 dogs and cats; and
Educate approximately 4,000 three and four year old children in our preschools program
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Hume City, Councillor Jospeh Haweil:
"It gives me great pleasure to present Hume City Council's Annual Budget 2023/24 to the community.
"In creating this budget, we've made sure we are listening to you. This budget is informed by community and key stakeholder consultation, including through our annual community survey, input via resident and stakeholder requests and general feedback.
"As our residents look to us to help guide them through a time of economic uncertainty, we are working tirelessly to ensure we are able to continue delivering quality services, while working within the state government's rate cap of 3.5% as part of the the Fair Go Rates System for local councils.
"Complemented by a responsible investment in city infrastructure and a capital works program that has a strong focus on community facilities, transport infrastructure, parks and reserves are our commitment to serving our growing community while maintaining an economic approach that is based on good governance and sound financial management."
