This is the final annual report against the goals of Council Plan 2005–2009. A new council and leadership team was elected in November 2008 and a new Council Plan, based on the community’s long-term vision for the city, the Future Melbourne Community Plan, was developed.
The City of Melbourne remains debt free with cash and cash equivalents in excess of $100 million at the end of 2008–09. The organisation is AAA credit rated by Standard & Poor’s.
Council invested more than $80 million dollars in capital works in 2008–09 across the city. This included contributions to a new family and children’s centre at Docklands and a pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Yarra at South Wharf.
The public provided feedback to around 30 City of Melbourne public consultations in 2008–09. More than 5,000 responses and submissions were received as part of our Swanston Street consultation program.
Partnerships were important in 2008–09 and the City of Melbourne continued to work with its many stakeholders. Our extensive work on city safety, for example, benefited from our close working relationships with organisations such as Victoria Police, Liquor Licensing Victoria, VicRoads, CitiPower and the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner.
The City of Melbourne provided more than $15 million for community activities such as local arts and culture, community service, the environment, events, business, tourism and sport initiatives. Our 2008–09 small business grants, for example, are expected to generate 102 new jobs, $17 million in turnover and more than $2 million in investment.
Sustainability is core business and this year our extensive sustainability-focussed activities included drought proofing sports grounds and adopting our important Total Watermark – City as a Catchment and Zero Net Emissions – Update 2008 policies.
The ‘Lean’ philosophy of service improvement was introduced into the organisation in 2008–09, as we continued to implement the recommendations of the 2007 Ernst & Young review.
