By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM Council has chosen to reduce the amount of money it will spend in vital infrastructure, in favour of keeping rates at a modest level.
Residents will face an average rate increase of 5.5 per cent, the same increase as last year if the council’s proposed budget is approved.
The council has also committed to increasing rates by the same amount every year until at least 2016.
While the residential rate increase is set at 4.54 per cent, because it is a revaluation year, the rate increase or decrease could vary for each property depending on the valuation.
As a result of the modest increase, the council has been forced to slash its capital works program, which is about $33 million down from last year’s record spending of $106 million.
Councillor John Menegazzo said the council had been forced to make a choice between keeping its word and funding works to improve infrastructure in Australia’s fastest growing municipality.
“Probably the most important feature in the eyes of the residents is overall rate increase, which council has managed to retain at 5.5 per cent,” Cr Menegazzo said.
“I’m aware that many councils in the local area and the West would be looking at an overall increase of 6 per cent and above, and I guess it would have been an easy option for this council to take a similar view and blame external factors such as the introduction of a carbon tax.
“However council remain aware of the commitment we made to ratepayers in previous years in our council reports that future rate increases would be no greater than 5.5 per cent.
“I think this was a major factor in our discussions. As a result our capital works program had to be trimmed and reshuffled and remodelled and staff increases have been kept to the minimum requirement to ensure service levels and delivery remain unaffected.”
All nine councillors voted unanimously to adopt the budget, which is now open for public comment.
Of the $83.83 million capital works program, $29.13 million will be spent on roads and pavements including $3.2 million on Hacketts Rd and $7 million on Armstrong Rd from Greens Rd to Ballan Rd.
