Macedon Ranges Shire Council endorsed the Budget 2024-25 and Council Plan 2021-2031 (Year Four Actions 2024-25) at its May meeting, with this earlier adoption ensuring officers are well-placed to deliver key initiatives from July 1.
The final documents follow months of internal consideration and community feedback, with council accepting submissions over a four-week period in late 2023.
More than 100 submissions received – with some in support of other submissions – allowed community-driven ideas to be allocated funding in 2024-25, including resurfacing works for the Romsey netball and tennis courts and essential designs works for other projects.
These initiatives are complemented by the Capital Works Program for 2024-25, which includes upgrades to key roads in Woodend and bridge upgrades in Lancefield, Macedon (Clarke Street footbridge), and Romsey.
Several key projects started in 2023-24 have also had a further allocation of funding to either close out or continue the projects in 2024-25, including Stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct and the Macedon Ranges Shared Trail Project.
Plans set to progress or finalise in 2024-25 include the Kyneton Town Centre Urban Design Framework, the Climate Emergency Response Plan, Council’s Open Space Strategy, and several recreational master plans, such as the Macedon Ranges Community Equestrian Facilities Master Plan.
Mayor Annette Death thanked the community for providing valuable budget submissions.
“I’d like to thank all those in the community who took the time to provide valuable budget submissions, and to council officers for their consideration and work in finalising these key documents, in partnership with councillors,” she said.
“We are living through challenging economic times and not everything we would like to fund is possible within one financial year, but with our available funds – including external government grants – we believe we’ve been able to land on a sustainable budget that supports our community.”
Council is moving towards a full cost recovery model at the three resource recovery facilities, meaning services such as dropping off residential green waste and co-mingled recycling will now incur a fee, following a directive from the State Government’s Ministerial Good Practice Guide on Service Rates and Charges for Kerbside Collection.
The green waste disposal charge is set by cubic metre, with a standard 6x4x1 trailer-load of green waste to cost $13.80. A full list of fees and charges is attached to the Budget 2024-25.
“The changes to the way council factors in certain shared waste charges with rates means that we have to adapt and change some of our business as usual, to help our Resource Recovery Facilities to pay for themselves,” Ms Death said.
“We want to continue supporting our residents by offering important initiatives such as green waste disposal, but this comes at a cost to council, and it is not sustainable for us to continue offering this for free. We know this is a low-cost measure and ensures we don’t operate at a loss.
“The good news for our ratepayers is that due to the introduction of these fees at our facilities, the mandatory waste charges within rates notices will not increase as a result.”
.
