Draft Budget 2013-14 – highlights
Key themes
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Draft Budget 2013-14 – highlights
The City of Melbourne’s draft Council Plan 2013-17 articulates the goals and outcomes against which the Council will be measured over its four-year term and explains, at a high level, how we will achieve them. The City of Melbourne’s Annual Plan and Budget details what we will do and how we will fund our activities each year.
The draft Annual Plan and Budget 2013-14 outlines the Council’s priorities for operating, capital and maintenance programs in the 2013-14 financial year, and focuses on securing Melbourne’s long-term sustainability and prosperity while tackling the challenges of a tough economic climate.
This draft budget includes a $1.11 million underlying surplus, about 0.3 per cent of the overall operating budget of $364 million, and a 3.75 per cent rate rise.
Infrastructure
Major investments in the 2013-14 draft budget include:
- $7 million for Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre
- $11.1 million for community infrastructure in Docklands, including $6.5 million for the Docklands Library and Community Centre and $3.6 million for the Docklands Boating Hub and Family Services.
- $7.7 million for parks renewal and tree planting works
- $2.55 million for the continued roll-out of the Bicycle Plan
- $2 million for the Carlton Neill Street Recreation Area
- $1.28 million for Queen Victoria Market renewal, replacement and improvement works
- $2.7 million for major streetscapes improvement works.
Rates
The rates increase is expected to be among the lowest of the 79 local government authorities in Victoria. It will add about $28 to a rates notice that was previously $750, $37.50 to a rates notice of $1000, and $75 to a rates notice of $2000.
Read the media release: Budgeting to ensure future prosperity.
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Key themes
The 2013-14 Annual Plan and Budget has two key focus areas:
- Building a bold, smart and inspirational Melbourne
- Targeting spending to enhance Melbourne’s unique character
1. Building a bold, smart and inspirational Melbourne
The budget unveils our long term plan to enhance Melbourne’s standing as an innovative and sustainable city, in which residents play a role in shaping the future.
Despite a tough economic climate, the 2013-14 draft budget demonstrates Council’s commitment to responsible financial management in addressing the challenges of a growing city, including adaptation for the effects of climate change and meeting the need for quality services and infrastructure.
Major public infrastructure projects include:
Climate adaptation and environmental sustainability are also significant priorities in the budget.
- $1.5 million to plant 3000 trees as part of the City of Melbourne’s Urban Forest Strategy, which aims to double the city’s tree canopy by 2040
- $1.5 million for flood mitigation works across the municipality
- $700,000 to generate a ‘solar map’ to identify buildings across the municipality that are suitable for solar panels and encourage residents and business to embrace renewable energy
- $134,000 for a Smart Blocks program to encourage apartment owners and managers to improve the energy efficiency in apartment buildings and save money.
The City of Melbourne will continue to roll out its Bicycle Plan to strengthen the cycling network, with a $2.55 million package including:
- $1.5 million to install green pavement and safety rumble strips on William Street
- $300,000 to install chevron-separated bike lanes in Neill Street, Carlton (between Nicholson and Rathdowne streets)
- $400,000 for bicycle hoops and parking stands across the municipality.
Read the media release: Building a bold, smart and inspirational Melbourne.
2. Targeting spending to enhance Melbourne’s unique character
Melbourne is globally renowned as a smart, inclusive, fun and accessible city. The draft 2013-14 Budget capitalises on these characteristics, delivering investments in the arts and community infrastructure.
Budget highlights building on Melbourne’s unique character include:
- $27.5 million budgeted for operating services for families, youth, children, people with disabilities and the ageing
- $1.09 million to refurbish Kensington Town Hall
- $1 million to continue implementing the key priorities from the Docklands Community and Place Plan
- $1.28 million for Queen Victoria Market renewal, replacement and improvement works
- $2.7 million major streetscape improvements, including $1.8m for Collins Street between King and William streets for bluestone paving, new trees and street furniture; $375,000 for Elizabeth Street between Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale streets; and $325,000 for Somerset Place as part of the Love your Laneways initiative
- $135,000 to kick-start a Melbourne Office of Literature.
Read the media release: Targeting spending to enhance Melbourne’s unique character.
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More information
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Have your say
Submissions are welcome on the draft Annual Plan and Budget 2013-14.
The detail of what we will do and how we will fund our activities is agreed each year in the Annual Plan and Budget.
The draft Annual Plan and Budget 2013-14 is now out for statutory consultation.
Council’s Future Melbourne Committee will consider any written submission received on or before Friday 7 June 2013, at a meeting to be held on Tuesday 18 June 2013 at 5.30pm in the Council Meeting Room, level two, Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, Melbourne.
If a person wishes to be heard in support of their submission they must include the request to be heard in the submission and this will entitle them to appear in person or by a person acting on their behalf before the meeting of the Committee.
The postal address for written submissions is:
Manager Governance Services
City of Melbourne
GPO Box 1603
Melbourne VIC 3001
To provide your written submission online please complete our form.
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