Cardinia Shire Council’s proposed Budget 2022–2026 available for comment

Proposed budget preparation

To deliver on the community’s priorities through the Council Plan, Council prepares four year rolling budgets, which are adopted annually.

In early 2021, the Imagine Cardinia community consultation and the Imagine Cardinia People’s Panel assisted in identifying priorities for the Council Plan, Financial Plan and Council Budget. 

In late 2021, Council again sought feedback from the community to ensure the Budget adopted in 2021 continues to meet the community’s needs.

The following community priorities were identified through the Imagine Cardinia consultation process:

• Empowering our communities to be healthy, connected, and resilient
• Creating liveable spaces and places
• Supporting our biodiversity to thrive
• Supporting our productive land and employment land to grow local industries
• Practising responsible leadership

Our most recent check in with the community in late 2021 confirmed these priority areas are still relevant and supported and have once again been used to develop a proposed budget. This proposed budget is now available for community viewing and comment.

Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jeff Springfield said Council has listened to what the community wants and has delivered a proposed budget that reflects this.

“We’re committed to making informed and strategic financial decisions that best serve our community and to delivering in the areas that our most important to you.

“You’ve told us what’s important to you and we’ve listened; this proposed budget reflects our shared priorities. We’re focused on affordability and living within our means in this proposed Budget. We’ve made informed decisions and prioritised essential services, with consideration for the risk, strategic, and political landscapes.

“The proposed Budget has also been informed by the Council Plan, and the countless strategies and Asset Management Plans that Council has adopted, all of which have been developed in consultation with our community.

The Mayor explained Council has had to make some tough decisions in developing the proposed Budget due to several challenges, many of which are also facing other interface Councils.

“This year, like so many other interface Councils, we continue to face challenging economic times. The flow on effects of COVID-19, complying with the Victorian Government’s lower rate cap, a reliance on state and federal government grant funding, the increasing needs of a rapidly growing community, and renewing ageing infrastructure; these are among a host of challenges we’re working hard to overcome.

“And, we know councils are not alone in feeling the financial strain, with our local businesses, ratepayers and residents all feeling the ongoing burden of COVID-19, recovery from natural disasters, and so much more.

“We know we must meet these challenges head on, and this proposed Budget strives to provide as much support for our community as possible and aligns to our commitment to deliver key projects and maintain community service levels into the future while adhering to the state government rate cap of 1.75 per cent.”

Budget highlights

The proposed budget reflects Council’s prudent fiscal management, which has enabled more than $318m of capital works over four years to be included in the budget and all vital community services to be maintained or enhanced.

The proposed capital works program for the financial year 2022–23 is $100m, with $47m budgeted for all roads and intersection upgrade programs, including the $16m ‘Princes Highway Intersection upgrades’ and $10m ‘Sealing the Hills’ programs funded in partnership with the Australian Government.

Other capital works budget allocations for 2022–23 include:

• recreation, leisure, and community facilities – $9.8m
• drains and bridges – $1.5m
• footpaths and cycleways – $1.9m
• parks, open space and streetscapes – $5.6m
• property, including land acquisitions and construction and upgrades of buildings, such as sporting pavilions – $27m

The proposed Budget for 2022–23 also includes allocations for the following key projects:

• Sealing the Hills roads program– $10m
• Princes Highway Intersection Upgrades – $16m
• Roads Sealing Program – Connect Cardinia: Stage 2 – $7m
• Officer District Park Masterplan – $3.3m
• Brunt Road Integrated Children’s Facility – $3.2m
• Timbertop Integrated Children’s Facility – $2.5m
• Cardinia Youth Facility – $3.9m
• Cora Lynn Pavilion – $2.3m
• Koo Wee Rup Bowls & Community Facility – $3.3m
• Bunyip Soccer Sports Field Redevelopment – $1.5m

General rates in 2022–23 will increase 1.75 per cent, in line with the Victorian Government’s rate cap this year. This figure is (0.75%) lower than the December 2021 Melbourne Consumer Price Index (CPI), which puts additional pressure on Victorian councils to deliver services with significantly reduced revenue.

Reflecting the Victorian Government’s 12.5 per cent increase to the landfill levy, the residential garbage charge is $326.80 for a 120L bin in 2022–2023. The green waste charge will increase marginally from $126.60 to $129.00.

View and comment on the proposed Budget

The proposed 2022–2026 Budget is available for viewing and community comment on Council’s Creating Cardinia website at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay until 5pm, 11 May 2022.

You can also request to view it at Council’s Customer Service Centre, Siding Avenue, Officer, between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Comments can be submitted to Council:

• by post addressed to Cardinia Shire Council’s Chief Finance Officer, Scott Moore, PO Box 7, Pakenham, Victoria, 3810
• by email to mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au or
• on the Creating Cardinia website at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay

Council will consider all community views and then discuss any changes to the proposed budget prior to endorsing the final version of the budget at the ordinary Council Meeting on 20 June 2022.

For more information and to review the proposed 2022–2026 Budget and provide comment, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay