The City of Melbourne has endorsed its Budget 2022-23, building on Melbourne's momentum to create jobs and restore confidence in the city.
The landmark $838.2 million Budget will deliver vital services, drive visitation and spend, and support city business owners with record investments to supercharge infrastructure projects, boost city cleanliness and safety, and grow Melbourne's events, culture and creative program.
In direct response to community feedback, Council will provide additional funding to double down on its work to eradicate illegal graffiti, make the city attractive and clean, and improve city safety.
This includes $100,000 to support the reintroduction of the Salvation Army's Youth Street Teams, $150,000 to increase the emptying of public litter bins during peak times and $80,000 to further expand the Rapid Response Clean Team.
The Budget will build on Council's work to reignite Melbourne, which has seen foot traffic and consumer spending in key precincts climb beyond pre-COVID levels, particularly in the evening.
Other notable achievements in the first six months of 2022 include:
- The biggest ever Moomba Festival, which drew a record 1.44 million people to the city and pumped more than $63.4 million into the local economy
- The new Summer Nights Drone Show, which saw 350 drones take to the sky across Victoria Harbour in a first for Melbourne
- $35 million flowing back into hospitality businesses, thanks to the third iteration of Melbourne Money
- Extending outdoor dining permit fee waivers until 31 October, supporting more than 1,500 city business owners
- More than 9,800 conversations between the Business Concierge team and city businesses
- Opening five new pop-up libraries, including the Mel-van mobile library
- More than 350 planning applications approved, worth more than $372 million
- The completion of works at the new-look Enterprize Park - a major milestone in the Greenline project to revitalise the Yarra's north bank
- Completion of the Flash Forward program to transform 40 laneways with vibrant works of art
- More than 1 million e-scooter trips, as part of the shared trial across Melbourne
- Signing of a landmark agreement for lease with Unison Housing to deliver the Make Room project
- Over 1,550 tonnes of organic waste diverted from landfill and made into compost, as part of the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) waste service
- Removing more than 66,000 square metres of graffiti across the municipality.
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Sally Capp
"Our record Budget will continue to build on Melbourne's momentum - delivering vital services for ratepayers, building infrastructure to future-proof our city and enticing more people in to support our business owners.
"We asked the community to have their say, and we're delighted with the feedback and ideas that we've received.
"We're actively listening, and have made a number of additions to the Budget, building on our record investment to eradicate illegal graffiti, make the city attractive and clean, and improve city safety.
"Melbourne is well and truly back on track, with foot traffic at a number of key dining and shopping precincts climbing beyond pre-COVID levels.
"We know there's still plenty of work to be done, and our impressive highlight reel and ambitious agenda proves that we will continue to deliver for our ratepayers and reignite the city."
