Free two-hour parking, the removal of a ‘permit to burn’ fee and an increase in funding for Pako Festa highlighted City of Greater Geelong’s budget for the next financial year.
The final budget, which was adopted on Tuesday June 24, gives council an operating surplus of $509,000, which differed from the proposed $3.4 million deficit in the draft budget.
“It is small, very tight, but it’s a surplus,” Cr Andrew Katos said.
“Which is what we want. We don’t want to be running deficits unless we have to. And there are no new borrowings planned for the next financial year, which is important.”
Council’s debt is $157.6 million and forecast to be $136 million in 2028-29.
“Had we not made the correct decisions this year, that would have been over $200 million of debt in 28-29,” Cr Katos said.
“It’s a balancing act – we’ve got to show some financial responsibility, but we also need to, as best we can, meet the needs and expectations of the community.
“That can be difficult. We can’t fund everything, as much as we wish we could, we’d like to provide every service we could and find everything that’s out there, but we have a limited budget and scarce resources so we have to make decisions.”
One free two-hour parking session per vehicle, per day in 2P zones is intended to support local businesses, especially in central Geelong while helping to reduce the cost of living.
“In my own personal calendar, I’ll be proclaiming the 24th of June as World Geelong Free Parking Day,” Cr Eddie Kontelj said.
The fire prevention burning-off fee will be scrapped while Geelong West’s multicultural Pako Festa will receive an extra $20,000, up from $80,000 in the draft budget.
“Food is the way communities come together,” Cr Ron Nelson said.
“I was a chef for 20-something years. There’s nothing better than sharing food and sharing stories with the community because that’s what brings the community together.”
North Shore and Barwon Heads Football Netball Clubs also benefited from the budget.
Safety netting totalling $95,000 will be installed at North Shore’s Windsor Park while $20,000 was included to subsidise maintenance of Barwon Heads’ Howard Harmer Reserve.
You Yangs Ward councillor Chris Burson said the budget “hasn’t been amazing for the northern areas”.
“However…I’m looking forward to what happens in the future. There’s some out of the box thinking for drainage and stuff that we’ve been talking about and the CEO has obviously been quite happy to talk to me about what she wants me to achieve in the next three years,” he said.
“We really didn’t get much/anything in this one, however, in the future three years we should be getting a lot more so I understand there’s a lot of frustration out in the north. I know that Anakie don’t even feel like people know they are part of Geelong a lot of the time, but they are.”
Mayor Stretch Kontelj’s vision for a version of Hobart’s Salamanca Market on Little Malop St between Moorabool and Yarra streets was given $100,000.
“Our intention is to seek expressions of interest to be the coordinator of the market,” he said.
“We’re looking for people who are experienced in putting together markets that are renowned for their destination, we’re looking for something special.”
While rates will be significantly higher next year, due mainly to the state government’s fire levy, Greater Geelong’s charges will be at a 2.5 percent increase, below the state government’s 3 percent cap.
“When you do get your rates notice, there will be two things that go up, and that’s not City of Greater Geelong responsible,” Cr Katos said.
“Your waste charges will be going up – 27 percent increase from the state government, so just be aware of that. And the fire service levy, which is going to be replaced with the emergency service volunteers levy, will be going up a lot.
“Just remember when you get that, the levy and the waste charges, we can’t do anything about that. (It’s) state government that’s putting up these levies and we unfortunately are the collectors of that.”
