Budget 2008/2009

The 2008/09 draft Council Budget was adopted at a special council meeting held on Monday 23 June 2008.

Key Features of the 2008/2009 Budget

• Low average rate increase - 2.9%
• $2.1M on open space projects
• $511K on climate change initiatives
• $531K on social justice and community building programs  
•  Increased child care places
• 41 initiatives linked to the Community Plan

Features of the capital works program include:

• $1.5M on the St Kilda Foreshore development
• $500K on improvements to pocket parks
• $1.6M on the Betty Day Centre redevelopment
• $1.0M Elwood Foreshore upgrade
• $1.3M on footpath rehabilitation
• 2.35M on road rehabilitation and resurfacing.

The 08/09 Council Budget is guided by the Council Plan 2005-2009 and the Community Plan 2007-2017

2008/2009 Annual Budget

The Budget details how council will allocate funds in order to deliver the final year of the 2005-2009 Council Plan. The Council Plan and the Budget both illustrate how the council is again focused on its six strategic objectives:

• renewing our special places
• strategic collaboration and partnership
• build a better environment
• create the conditions for community
• better local services in community centres
• effective service and council stewardship.

The new Council Plan and the Budget rise to the challenges set by the community at last year's Community Summit which are captured in the 2007-17 Community Plan.

Indeed, 41 of Council's 46 key initiatives for 2008/09 are targeted at Community Plan priorities: parking, building our community, urban planning and development, entertainment and residential amenity and public open spaces.

Climate change continues to be a major concern for our community and this budget sets aside $511,000 to support community climate change initiatives. A further $531,000 has been allocated towards social justice and community building programs and $1.4M will be spent in 2008/09 on new bike paths and upgrading existing bike paths in the city (including some funds from state government).

In the 2008/09 budget, fees in council managed child care centres will increase 4.5% to $76.50 per day (or an extra $3.30 per day).

The fee rise is largely due to increases in staffing costs linked to council's enterprise agreement. For low and middle income families this fee will be reduced further by the council's affordability subsidy. All families are now eligible for a 50 per cent rebate (up from last year's rebate of 30 percent) on out of pocket expenses under the federal government rebate.

Council's child care policy has delivered 241 new council and community managed child care places since November 2006.

The relative value of a property within a municipality is used as the basis for apportioning the rates raised.  Local governments conduct municipal property revaluations every second year, as required by state legislation.  Just because property values have risen in a municipality does not mean there will be a rise in the total rates collected by council.

All Victorian properties have recently undergone valuations at the prescribed date of 1 January 2008. Council uses the valuation data to apportion the amount of rates to be paid by each property owner in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 financial years.

Ratepayers have rights under the Valuation of Land Act 1960 to object to the valuation of their property.

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713.