Moreland City Council will invest $29.5 million in infrastructure across 2019-20 to maintain and improve the amenity of the city, while maintaining a focus on core services for the Moreland community.
Councillors endorsed the $184.18 million budget on 24 June, which will deliver more than 40 core services across the city.
Moreland Mayor Cr Natalie Abboud said that Council had prepared a financially responsible budget, with total rates revenue increase for the next financial year within the State Government's 2.5 percent cap for 2019-20.
"Moreland Council has worked hard to find ways to be more cost efficient and to find savings to maintain and enhance Council's services for the Moreland community," Cr Abboud said.
"At the heart of our budget is continued support for the elderly, immunisation and maternal child health services for infants, support for early years learning and youth, wonderful libraries and leisure centres; $34.1 million will be spent maintaining and enhancing these services in the next financial year.
"An exciting $46 million capital works program is planned for 2019-20, with $1.5 million allocated to begin the $27.5 million Wheatsheaf Community Hub project, just one of the projects that will provide Moreland with essential community infrastructure into the future."
Cr Abboud said that open space and looking after Moreland's sporting facilities and parks continued as a priority, with $8.7 million earmarked for park, open space and streetscape infrastructure investment, including $2.5 million to create two new parks in the city's most dense areas in Brunswick.
"And we are investing more than ever in our planning department to manage growth in Moreland and working hard to keep our environment clean and our city sustainable; $400,000 will go to the Zero Carbon Emissions project to generate local renewable energy and use energy efficiently while $1.3 million is allocated to our Towards Zero Waste projects, aimed at reducing the amount of waste from the municipality going to landfill," Cr Abboud said.
Other 2019-20 budget highlights include:
- Continued investment in infrastructure ($29.5 million) including upgrades to roads and carparks ($11.3 million); footpaths and bicycle paths ($3.7 million); and drainage ($1.5 million);
- Planting of 5,000 new trees ($500,000);
- Funding to fix the indoor pool floor at Brunswick Baths - as part of the Aquatics Infrastructure Program ($1.0 million);
- Funding to upgrade the Spa and Sauna and refurbish the change rooms at Coburg Leisure - as part of the Aquatics Infrastructure Program ($1.0 million);
- Five refreshed playgrounds ($437,000):
- Renovation of City Oval grandstand and pavilion ($1.5 million);
- Fleming Park masterplan implementation ($1.4 million);
- Edgars Creek shared path bridge ($1.3 million) and footbridge at Kingfisher Gardens ($1.5 million);
- Implementation of traffic management treatments across Moreland ($1.2 million); and
- Continuation of two hard waste collections per annum ($500,000).
Council's 2019-20 budget was endorsed following a public consultation process, where 25 submissions were received and considered.
