By Charlene Gatt
MARIBYRNONG City Council passed its 2009/10 budget last week, delivering a six-per-cent rate increase to Maribyrnong homes.
The budget was unanimously passed at a special council meeting, after minor tweaking to the draft budget.
The council has decreased funding for Hortense St tree planting and re-allocated the money to boost Waterford Green streetscape improvements.
Big ticket budget items include the $3.698 million Road Improvement Plan, $2.7 million towards the Yarraville Clare Court Early Years Hub, Clare Court Yarraville, $2.272 million towards parks and recreation upgrades and $1.26 million for Yarraville Community Centre rectification works.
The budget also includes a six-per-cent rate rise, with four per cent covering inflation costs and two per cent going towards the council’s Capital Works and Improvement program.
The rise is part of a five-year plan to include an annual 6 per cent increase plus supplementary rates.
This year’s rise will cost a homeowner with a house value of $403,000 an extra $1.31 a week.
“This has positioned this council to meet the challenges of an ever-increasing infrastructure gap,” Mayor Michael Clarke said.
“The fact is, you build something and over time, even after a vigorous maintenance program, it needs to be replaced. Too few councils have generated strategies to deal with this multi-million-dollar problem.
“We have put into our budget process one thing – and that is certainty. Our community doesn’t have to fear that next year rates could be up around 11 per cent.”
Councillors Catherine Cumming and Martin Zakharov did not attend the special council meeting.
