Looking after the community's assets, funding essential capital works and investing in vital core services form the backbone of Council's budget for 2023-24.
Council last night adopted the $191M budget, which includes $76M for capital works and $115M for services.
Knox Mayor, Councillor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said the budget, informed by community feedback received during its development, allocates funds for identified community priorities and continued delivery of crucial services.
"Our budget allocates funds for maintaining and renewing ageing infrastructure while investing in new infrastructure to deliver safer roads and footpaths, drainage upgrades, better parks and playgrounds and improved sporting and recreational facilities," she said.
"Council is continuing to invest in core community services such as seeing more than 4800 children through our Maternal and Child Health centres and delivering over 4000 immunisations."
"Council maintains: 280 buildings, 200 playgrounds and 65 sportsgrounds; 1200 kilometres of footpaths and 700 kilometres of roads; and mows 776 hectares or the equivalent of 60,000 backyards. We assess over 1000 planning applications and respond to more than 80,000 phone calls and 60,000 online service requests annually."
Highlights of the $76M capital works program include:
- $15.1M to upgrade and renew sporting facilities, including the Park Ridge Reserve Pavilion, Batterham Reserve and Egan Lee Sportsfield, Knox BMX track and Exner Reserve tennis courts
- $10.7M on roads and drains
- $4.7M to improve footpaths and cycling paths
- $3.8M in flood mitigation works, including Egan Lee Reserve and Gilbert Park Wetlands
- $1.04M in playground renewals and upgrades, including Tim Neville Arboretum playground, Kent Park, Pineview/Oaktree Rise Reserve, Castlefield Rise and Val Boyd Reserve
- $1.4M to replace streetlights with more energy efficient LEDs
"The rising costs of getting our work done and cumulative effects of rate capping continue to put pressure on our budget, yet the average residential rates in Knox continue to be among the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne," Cr Timmers-Leitch said.
"Income from rates will increase 3.5%. Council provides a $100 pensioner rebate at a cost to the budget of $1.2M to reduce the burden for eligible pensioners. This is on top of the state government rebate."
"Council has the same challenge as most individuals - we have a limited budget yet many and competing demands on where to allocate our scarce resources. There are many services we provide on behalf of state and federal governments where the funding is not keeping up with the cost of providing these services.
"We've made $1.4M in operational savings as we seek to balance meeting the needs of our community with managing our resources to ensure our financial sustainability."
The budget supports a number of important initiatives, including a new food and garden bin service to reduce food waste going to landfill.
"Currently, 43% of Knox's rubbish that goes to landfill is food and this creates methane gas, which contributes to climate change," Cr Timmers-Leitch said. "We can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emitted from landfill by composting food and garden waste to be used for enriching the soil at farms, parks and gardens."
Standard waste charges, to be incorporated on rates notices, will increase from $3-$37 for residents who already have a green waste bin and $103-$137 for those receiving a new one. For most residents the waste charge will increase by $3.
The charge is $434.90 (including an 80L rubbish bin, 240L recycle bin and 240L food and garden bin) or $496.60 if you have opted for a larger 120L rubbish bin. Both options include two hard waste collections and a fortnightly green bundled waste collection.
