Well, we have done it again, on the 27th June, 2023 Council has delivered the 2023-2024 Budget.
This budget in my opinion is one of the best that we have delivered in the last 2 terms of Council that I have been part of.
It is a cost-of-living budget and has been put in place to help all our residents with the ever-increasing costs of living. The Pensioner rebate has doubled to provide support to our most vulnerable residents in these uncertain times and through good financial management we as a Council are in a position to help our communities, and that is why there has been no General Rate increase. This is the second time in this term that this Council has delivered a 0% General Rate increase. We have been able to do this by finding efficiencies and savings within our organisation, so it certainly doesn’t mean that anyone will miss out.
In fact, the capital works program is one of the biggest that BRC has ever rolled out, with a total capital spend of $167 million dollars across the entire region. From major new infrastructure like the new Aquatic Centre, the ANZAC Park Redevelopment, and the Moore Park Beach Master Plan to various “off leash” dog parks, upgraded and new facilities in parks, shade sails and shelters, walking paths, better roads and water and sewerage infrastructure etc, etc, etc, there is something for everyone.
Division 1 has done extremely well, with Stage 1, 2 & 3 of the Moore Park Beach Master Plan funded and there are also various other projects throughout the division, totalling around $3.0 million planned and funded to be delivered financial year 2023-2024.
Council has again invested heavily in our Water and Wastewater businesses to be able to provide reliable, continued, and high-quality services to our residents. Our Water and Sewerage Infrastructure is in and enviable position with the continuing development and replacement of old aging infrastructure across the region. Strategic investments in infrastructure in recent times had placed Council in a very positive position, we are delivering services today and always planning for tomorrow.
I am proud to say that I am part of this Council that continually delivers lower rates, upgraded and essential community infrastructure across our region, services that are envied by other Councils and on top of all that, our budgets have been in surplus every year for the last 7 years giving us money in the bank to continue to deliver the needs and wants of all our communities.
I commend our staff for their time and effort that they have put into assisting Councillors with putting this Budget together and I thank my fellow Councillors for their contributions to this Cost-of Living, Infrastructure building lead budget.
CR Jason Bartels Division 1 BRC
Yorumlar