By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM Council has committed to focus on jobs for young residents but snubbed a request for differential rates for retirement village residents when it adopted its latest budget.
At a special council meeting last week the 2013/2014 Budget was adopted with few changes.
A total of 12 community submissions were made to the council when the budget was first released in June this year.
A select few submissions were accepted by the councillors, one of which will see a much-needed careers expo take pride of place in Werribee.
The Wyndham Hobsons Bay Region Incorporated Careers Association (WRICA) had requested that the council provide $35,000 in funding to save the event.
WRICA President, Richard Towers, said the closing of the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre for redevelopments also meant the event had been effectively homeless.
“This forced WRICA to relocate to a new venue at the Werribee Racecourse Function Centre that presented a significantly higher cost to our budget for 2013,” Mr Towers said.
“WRICA cannot return to the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre until possibly 2015.
“Without council support WRICA cannot sustain the high quality event that provides vital up-to-date information that assists in making informed career choices to students, young people, parents, community groups and community members.”
The council awarded a grant of $23,000 for the event on the basis of negotiation for clear performance criteria.
An application for differential rates for Wyndham’s retirement villages was knocked back however.
“If council were to introduce a differential rate for ratepayers within retirement villages it would in fact result in other residential ratepayers paying a higher contribution and thus resulting in village residents being treated more favorably than other residents,” a council report said.
