At its Council Meeting on Tuesday 21 April 2020, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council made the decision to extend the public exhibition period for the Proposed Budget 2020/21.
The public exhibition period will now close on Thursday 21 May 2020 and the S223 hearing date will be scheduled to take place on Wednesday 3 June 2020 at 6:30pm.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Councillor Sam Hearn said due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Council made the decision to extend the Proposed Budget 2021/21 public exhibition period to both give the community more time to review and provide comment, and to give council officers more time to assess the economic impacts we are seeing from COVID 19.
"During this timeframe, we know further changes will be required as a result of COVID 19. We've already been assessing the challenges our community is facing and we'll continue to explore every impact and make necessary changes (in accordance the Local Government Act 1989) when the Budget is brought before Council for adoption on Tuesday 14 July 2020.
"As a local council, we are proactively addressing challenges locally and we take very seriously our responsibility to use the resources that our community entrust us with to provide the essential services that our community require," concluded Cr Hearn.
The state government sets out the maximum amount Councils may increase rates in a year. For 2020/21 the rate cap has been set at 2.0%.
The Proposed Budget includes changes to some elements of the Rating Strategy, recognition of properties under Trust For Nature, reduction in rates for Rural Living Rate properties and increase to the Waste Service Charge.
The Proposed 2020/21 Capital Works Budget is $52.5M. Some big-ticket items include:
- $11.2M – Our Aquatic Centre (including traffic signal installation)
- $1.5M – Tyabb Preschool upgrade
- $1.3M – Tennis Strategy implementation
- $1.5M – Somerville Active Recreation Hub
- $1.9M – Merricks Station Grounds Master Plan
- $1.2M – Rye Township Plan
- $4.0M – Road Resealing and Rehabilitation Works
- $1.8M – Footpath Renewal Program
- $1.0M – Emergency Drainage Works
- $650k – Merricks / Stanleys Rd Intersection - Roundabout Construction
- $1.0M – Balnarring Recreation Reserve - Oval Rehabilitation
- $900k – Narambi Reserve, Mornington – Junior Oval Construction
- $530k – Marna Reserve, Dromana – Netball Courts Renewal
Projects in the Proposed $4.3M Priority Projects Program include:
- $100k – Hinterland Environmental Water Scheme: Feasibility Study
- $100k – Social Housing Projects Facilitation
- $400k – Climate Emergency Program to support strategic objectives
- $360k – Biolinks Weed Management
- $100k – Heritage Review - Stage 4
- $75k – Dromana Community Hub Business Case
- $40k – Strategic Plan for Libraries
