Cardinia Shire Council’s draft Budget 2024–25 available for comment

Community members can view and comment on the draft Budget 2024–25 online at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/Budget2024-25 until 5pm, Friday 17 May 2024.

Council prepares four-year rolling budgets, reviewed annually, to deliver on the community’s priorities outlined in its 2021–2025 Council Plan.

Cardinia Shire Council has listened to input from residents and businesses across several rounds of community consultation carried out over the past four years, to help shape the draft 2024–25 budget.

The development of this document has also been driven by the priorities outlined in four strategic documents: Council Plan 2021–25, Council Budget 2022–26, Revenue and Rating Plan 2021–25, and Financial Plan 2021–31.

The draft budget has been guided by three key principles, achieving value for money, capacity to pay, and service accessibility. The overarching objective was to keep rates and charges as affordable as possible, and within the Victorian Government’s rate cap, while continuing to deliver a wide range of valued services to the community.

Council has not applied for a variation to the rate cap, so rate increases will be capped at 2.75 per cent in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System.

Following community engagement, Council will consider all comments received as it finalises the Budget 2024–25 document and considers it for adoption in June 2024.

Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik said there were several key considerations for Council to contend with this year and the Council has remained determined as ever to balance these challenges to achieve a good outcome for the community.

“This year, as with the past few years now, we’re still seeing increases in the cost of living affecting our community. Managing the unpredictable nature, impacts, and costs associated with relief and recovery efforts from natural disasters is a rising challenge, and we’re seeing continued rapid population growth and increasing demand for, and on, Council assets and services.

“What this means for our Council and community is that we must work together, alongside other levels of government and partner agencies, to responsibly balance these financial limitations, innovative where we can, and always remain responsive to the needs of our community,” Mayor Kowarzik explained.

“It’s not a simple or easy task by any means, but it’s one that we’ve been committed to throughout the development of this draft Budget, and one we will continue to work toward accomplishing over the coming year.”

Community members who would like to learn more or ask questions about the draft Budget engagement or any of the other engagement opportunities currently open for input, can head along to one of Council’s ‘Creating Cardinia on the Move’ pop-up events happening across the Shire.

The new community engagement initiative will be delivering four face-to-face pop-up series in 2024, starting with five separate events occurring in Pakenham, Officer, Emerald and Garfield in April and May 2024.

For more information, including where and when the Cardinia Shire Engagement team will be ‘popping up’ in the community, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/CreatingCardiniaOnTheMove

Draft Budget 2024–25 highlights

In the proposed Budget 2024–25, Council plans to commit $238.3 million in capital infrastructure over the next four years, with an $82.3 million capital program (including $21.0 million carry-over from 2023–24) in the 2024–25 financial year. Of this figure, $64.7 million is dedicated for renewal and upgrade of our $2.5 billion worth of community assets.

Expenditure on Council assets is detailed in the Capital Works Program and for 2024–25, this amounts to $82.3 million ($40.9 million funded by rates, $21.3 million from grants and contributions and $20 million from borrowings), which includes $21.0 million worth of projects carried forward from 2023–24.

Highlights of the Capital Works Program 2024–25 would include:

• $29.9 million toward roads and bridges programs – including $9.3 million to continue delivering the ‘Sealing of the Hills’ project, along with the continuance of the ‘Better Local Roads - Connect Cardinia’ program, replacing bridges on Simpson Road and Tenby Road, and ongoing maintenance of roads and footpaths.
• $1.4 million toward drainage improvements at Beaconsfield Station, Macclesfield Road, and Tynong Roads and rehabilitation works at Nobelius Heritage Park.
• $13.9 million toward the construction of the pavilions at Upper Beaconsfield and Cora Lynn recreation reserves, as well as maintenance and refurbishment for Council-owned buildings.
• $1.8 million toward recreational, leisure and community facilities, including the renovation of the Pakenham Pool, installing new cricket nets at Chandler Recreation Reserve, and upgrading lighting at the Nar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve.
• $6.7 million toward parks, open space, and streetscapes projects, including completing works at Officer District Park, constructing Stage 1a of the Pakenham Revitalisation project, and installing new playgrounds at Toomuc Recreation Reserve, WB Ronald Park, and Greenland Court Reserve.

Other key initiatives and projects included in the proposed budget include:

• $21.7 million will be invested into asset renewal programs for existing Council assets including roads, drains, paths, playgrounds, and swimming pools.
• Increasing operating funding for maintenance of trees and open drains.
• The coordination of health and wellbeing initiatives across the Shire in line with the priorities set in Cardinia Shire’s Liveability Plan 2017–29.
• Funding the 2024 Council elections and the development of the new Council Plan 2025–29 and related strategic documents.

For more information or enquiries, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/Budget2024-25 or contact Council’s Customer Support team by calling 1300 787 624 or emailing mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au.