Latrobe City rates are set to rise by 3.9 per cent in the next financial year, if council’s proposed draft budget is adopted.
Council will decide next Monday whether to release the draft 2014/15 budget for public comment, which includes the rate rise – significantly lower than the previous increase of 5.2 per cent.
Wellington Shire Council has proposed a similar rate increase of 3.8 per cent.
The document proposes an $8 million boost to capital works spending to $49.29 million; $15 million of this is state and federal government contributions.
The draft budget proposes new borrowings of $3.35 million – $850,000 to add to $7 million in Federal Government funding for stage one of the Moe Rail Revitalisation Project, plus $2.5 million to fund road works as part of the future Heavy Industrial Park infrastructure renewal project on Tramway Road, Morwell.
If the budget is adopted, some sports facilities will receive major boosts, with $276,000 set for reconstructing the Moe Tennis Courts and $400,000 to be spent on a pavilion at Agnes Brereton Reserve.
The TEDAS Junior Football Club would also benefit from $230,000 in funding for a pavilion and $450,000 will go towards a change pavilion at Harold Preston Preserve, home of Traralgon Olympians Soccer Club.
This spending is in addition to $650,000 allocated to Latrobe Leisure maintenance and upgrades.
Stage two of upgrades to Latrobe Regional Airport would be wholly funded by $1.3 million of grants, according to the draft document. If released, Latrobe City residents would be able to comment on the draft budget before or at a special council meeting held on 23 June.
Draft budget highlights:
$7.85m Moe Rail Precinct Revitalisation Project
$1.3m Latrobe Regional Airport upgrade works stage 2 (growing aerospace manufacturing)
$276k Moe Tennis Courts reconstruction project
$400k Agnes Brereton Reserve pavilion
$270k Traralgon Court House upgrades
$230k TEDAS (Junior Football Club) pavilion
$450k Harold Preston Reserve – Traralgon Olympians change pavilion
$650k Latrobe Leisure Maintenance and upgrades
$290k Churchill east west link shared path construction design contribution
$2.8m Landfill cell 4 construction
$252k Playground improvement implementation plan
$15.55m Roads, including $5 million toward the Heavy Industrial Park infrastructure renewal project
* Figures include anticipated state and federal government contributions. Some listed projects have been previously announced.
