Geelong council finalised its 2024-25 budget at its monthly meeting this week, incorporating a raft of changes in response to community feedback gathered since the draft version went out in April.
The changes, worth more than $2.7 million in total, include $432,000 to keep North Bellarine Aquatic Centre open during winter months and an extra $50,000 for Neighbourhood Houses.
Bellarine Ward councillor Elise Wilkinson acknowledged community members who took the time to complete submissions as part of the budget process.
“I am really pleased that we’ve been able to fund a number of projects within the Bellarine Ward, including keeping the Bellarine Aquatic Centre open,” she said.
“The Ocean Grove Bike Park is a really exciting new project and work on the shared trails is long overdue.
“It’s been a very interesting process, this budget, not quite as stressful as perhaps it could have been. I think that people really worked together, and it’s a balance; it’s not perfect, but there’s some really good projects and work in there.”
Bellarine Ward councillor Jim Mason emphasised the number of projects receiving funding across the Bellarine.
“One small but very important project is the emergency fire track on Peninsula Drive (Drysdale), which is budgeted for $100K, that will provide a greater safety factor for the three schools, the sporting precinct and the Potato Shed” he said.
“The Drysdale Sporting Precinct Master Plan, though to some extent delayed, will still have over $6 million over four years applied to it. The Leopold Sporting Precinct female change rooms, St Leonard’s Lake Reserve, the Portarlington Master Plan, $3.5 million to be implemented.
Mayor Trent Sullivan emphasised the importance of careful spending given the 2.75 per cent rate rise cap, well below the rising cost of expenses.
“Having caps such as that, under CPI, does make it difficult to make those dollars go further,” he said.
“But this is a budget that I believe shows that this is what the council group, the executive, the officers have focused on: How can we do what we do better? How can we get the most value out of the ratepayers’ dollar?
“There’s something in this budget for absolutely everybody… No one’s getting left behind. We’re not just focusing on one area, this is a well-balanced, well-spread out budget.”
Go to geelongaustralia.com.au/budget to view the full budget.
