WELLINGTON ratepayers could see an average increase in rates and charges of 4.84 per cent next financial year.
In its draft 2009-10 budget, Wellington Shire Council will increase rates by 6.95 per cent. But with State Government grants for water unbundling initiatives, keeping the waste infrastructure charge at $25 and reducing the garbage charge by $14 to $160, the overall increase was reduced to 4.84 per cent.
Council expects to have operating revenue of $65.2 million, 53 per cent of which will come from rates with 36 per cent from State and Federal government grants.
Included in the budget is a $28.2 million capital works program with $5.3 million worth of projects carried forward from the 2008-9 program.
By the end of next financial year, council debt is expected to be $13.9 million, within the State Government guidelines.
Mayor Darren McCubbin said council aimed to deal with infrastructure challenges in its draft budget.
"We have a large shire, we have over 3000 kilometres of roads and 100-odd bridges and variety of football fields and other public infrastructure which our community loves and wishes to keep, but they appreciate these are running down,'' he said.
"Although cutting and slashing the budget in these difficult times may seem the way to go, letting our asset base run down to the extent where it is no longer useable by the community is not good financial sense. It creates a burden on people who come in the future.''
Cr McCubbin said council could not afford to withdraw services during these tight economic times.
"What we are finding more and more is in these tough times, people are turning to local government, turning to us, to provide them with the safety and security and services that they need,'' he said.
"I guess the classic example of that was in the fire recovery process that we had recently.
"What we are doing is both prudent and responsible.''
As part of $6.5 million for roads and bridges, $490,000 will be spent on rehabilitating Whitelaws Track, $405,000 for Bassets Bridge at Glengarry, $300,000 for Culloden Bridge north of Briagolong, $198,000 for Dawson's Bridge, Gelliondale and $120,000 for the Valencia Creek-Briagolong Rd.
Stage two of the Golden Beach street construction scheme will begin after $259,000 was allocated.
Council will also seek to replace the Avgas facility at West Sale Aerodrome, allowing many pilots to refuel their plane there.
"Council is going to be advocating to the State Government and hopes to be able to do that and put $120,000 aside in the budget,'' Cr McCubbin said.
Funds have been distributed across the shire including $300,000 for equestrian facilities at the Yarram Recreation Reserve, $250,000 for the Kilmany landfill, $50,000 to improve the Lake Victoria foreshore at Loch Sport and $30,000 each to upgrade the town entries for Maffra and Heyfield.
"What you're seeing there is a spending of money around the shire, creating jobs, developing our infrastructure, making sure our shire continues to be a great place to live, grow, work and invest,'' Cr McCubbin said.
Cr Leo O'Brien was concerned with such a rate increase with many people struggling financially.
"We have a policy here, which has been a long-standing policy, of incremental increases in our rates each year, I think it is a dangerous policy. Having an increase each year can lend itself to perhaps some wasteage in budgets,'' he said.
"I think in the current economic times, we really should be considering whether we continue this policy.''
Deputy mayor Scott Rossetti said the rate increase reflected the increased cost of providing services.
"Councillors have gone through the budget line by line to determine the necessary rate increase to provide those services,'' he said.
"We haven't simply said let's whack it up by X per cent because the CPI is this,'' he said.
Public submissions into the draft budget, as well as the draft council plan for 2009-14, are open and will be reviewed at a special council meeting on Wednesday, June 17.
Cr Peter Cleary urged people to read the budget.
"It's really important that people do look at this budget, see what it's about, understand where we're planning to spend their rates and other charges,'' he said.
The budget and plan will be formally adopted on Tuesday, June 30.
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