THIS week, I’m very pleased to discuss the newly adopted budget for the Southern Grampians Shire. This budget represents a tremendous benefit for our region, addressing the core issues we get the most questions about, roads, rates, and rubbish while aiming to enhance the overall quality of life for all residents.

The budget is the result of extensive work that began last November. Council officers, Councillors, and the community have all contributed to shaping this comprehensive plan. The high level of community input this year has been particularly encouraging, as it ensures that our decisions reflect the needs and desires of the people.

Our first step in crafting the budget was to ensure that we were aligning with our 10-year plan. This vision guides our decisions and keeps the Shire on track to deliver the quality of life that the residents of the Shire expect and deserve. The annual operating plan complements this long-term vision with precise deadlines and deliverables, ensuring that our capital projects progress as intended.

This year we had a tremendous number of submissions from the community, something we were delighted to see. It’s always better to have community direction than to simply assume we have all the answers. We had some great suggestions make it over the line. Solar lighting around Lake Hamilton is one we’re really excited about that will be of huge benefit to all lake users. The cricket nets at Pedrina Park have been on the books for a long time and they are now finally getting up and of course, the Hamilton Coleraine Rail Trail is in there too. There is now significant money being spent on rail crossings, walking tracks and much more to progress that project and give us a whole new resource we can be proud of.

There are some new projects on the table like the redevelopment of the Hamilton Skate Park, new stairs at Nigretta Falls and the long-awaited demolition of the LA Walker building on Lonsdale Street to make way for our Community Hub. Some good news for the residents of Glenthompson, money has now been allocated to purchase and renovate the school so that it may be given back to the residents of the town.

New structure plans will also be carried out for the towns of Cavendish and Coleraine.

Like any business, the Council must manage running costs efficiently. This budget has made significant strides in cutting expenses considerably without disrupting operations. We’ve implemented new software to enhance efficiency, especially in finance and new road planning software, resulting in improved roads with longer lifespans.

We are pleased to say that we turned a deficit budget into a budget surplus of around $3 million dollars for the year. Our 10-year plan has identified that nine out of the 10 years are likely to have surplus budgets and we can then use that surplus capital to help to fund our major capital projects, those being the CBD revitalisation, the Community Hub which will also encompass a new library, administration building and digital hub, and the long-term plan for the New Hamilton Gallery.

We are in a position now that these projects can be almost wholly funded with budget surplus, borrowings and the generous help of philanthropic donations without the reliance on funding from other levels of Government. Continuing to deliver surplus budgets gives the Shire the independence to affect change as needed, on our own terms.

This budget is bold, and our long-term plan is bold, but bold is what we need. We simply cannot produce budgets that slash costs if the benefit of these reductions can’t be felt by our residents. We need to make our Shire as pleasant to live in as possible, by providing services and resources that benefit the people who live here and make lives easier and more enjoyable. Doing this also brings visitors to the region, attracts new investments and draws in new residents to live here. Our residents expect a high quality of life, and this budget aims to meet and exceed those expectations.

I encourage everyone to read the full budget and council plan, available on the council website or at our Brown Street office. We’ve also sought alternative funding to reduce reliance on government funds, ensuring our plans are sustainable and future-proof.

Finally, I’m proud to share that a recent survey by SGS Economics ranked Southern Grampians Shire very highly in liveability, particularly in our region. This achievement reflects our collective efforts and commitment to making our Shire an exceptional place to live.

Together, let’s continue to build a bright future for the Southern Grampians Shire.