A $192 MILLION slate of works across Mitchell Shire during the next four years is up for public scrutiny after council released a draft capital works program for comment.
The draft program, starting in 2022-23 and ending in 2025-26, gives an outline of council’s intended spending to create, maintain and enhance community assets during the next four financial years.
The proposed capital works program for 2022-23 allocates more than $58 million to nearly 90 projects, with $5 million for the first stage of a Seymour Community Wellbeing Hub, $13.7 million for roads, $2.5 million to upgrade Seymour’s Old Goulburn River Bridge and $15 million for the purchase of land in Beveridge among the major outlays.
Council said the Beveridge land acquisition, along with a $1.5 million purchase of land in Wallara Waters, would be used for future community facilities and open space.
Other projects include the building and maintenance of footpaths, drainage, buildings, recreation facilities and playgrounds.
Council also released a budget development document outlining its key considerations when setting the draft capital works budget and preparing the operating budget. A full draft budget is not yet finalised.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm said community input would be key in fine-tuning the capital works program and budget.
“We had fantastic input from the community last year as we developed the Mitchell 2050 Community Vision, the council plan, the health and wellbeing plan and various other strategies and plans,” he said.
“We’ve used this input to help prepare a draft capital works program for 2022-23 and to identify priorities for the next four years.
“As we develop the 2022-23 budget, we want to know what the community thinks about what we’ve got planned and our longer-term budget drivers.”
People can view both documents and make submissions by visiting www.engagingmitchellshire.com, visiting council’s customer and library service centres in Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour or Wallan to access hard-copy information and submission forms, or calling 5734 6200.
Submissions close at 9am on Monday, February 28.
