EXTRA spending on capital works and community services are features of the proposed Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s 2018-19 budget released last week.
The document, which is on public exhibition until Thursday 26 April, reflects the priorities identified by members of the community, the mayor Cr Bryan Payne said.
“It provides ongoing service improvements and infrastructure enhancements within the current financial environment”.
The state government has again capped rate rises at 2.25 per cent.
The mayor said the waste service charge, based on full cost recovery, was proposed to increase by 10 per cent – to $217 – driven by an increase in waste costs. The proposed capital works budget is $52 million.
“Big ticket” items include $5 million for the preliminary phases of the Rosebud Aquatic Centre; $4.9 million for Somerville Recreation and Community Centre;
$18.6 million for buildings renewals and upgrades; $9 million for roads and traffic management; $7.4 million parks, open spaces and streetscapes; $4.3 million recreational leisure and community facilities (excluding Somerville Recreation and Community Centre).
The mayor said projects in the proposed $2.3 million priority projects program include township planning, footpath network condition data and video survey, management of high risk trees, coastal vegetation enhancement, bay trails and strategic network paths, coastal management plans for Mt Eliza and Portsea and Southern Peninsula traffic congestion management.
First published in the Mornington News – 3 April 2018
