The money from rates and charges makes up just over half our revenue. Income also comes from government grants, user fees and charges, developer contributions, asset sales and loans. This year, Council’s total revenue will be $70.25 million and will fund projects from across a range of services.
Council strongly supports the provision of a range of community services across the Shire. The 2011/12 budget provides significant funding for services for families and children as well as for the aged and disabled.
Cr Jane Daly
Community services
Pre-school administration and facility management, planning for the Cowes Children’s Hub, universal capacity assessment and planning support for six kindergartens and other children’s services - $204,000
Maternal and child health program - $170,000
Community development services such as the Community Planning project, social planning and research, Transport Connections, Rural Access community based programs, and operation of the Inverloch Community Hub – $790,000
Youth services, including funding of externally employed youth development officers - $119,200
Services to senior and disabled citizens including home care and maintenance, Planned Activity Group, respite and personal care, and Senior Citizens building maintenance – $3.55
Maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment is a critically important outcome for the quality of life of our community. This budget provides resources to achieve this particularly in the areas of environmental management and planning as well as waste management.
Cr Peter Paul
Waste and recycling
Rubbish collection - $1.85 million
Recycling program - $1.12 million
Operating landfill and transfer stations - $545,000
Landfill rehabilitation - $595,000
Landfill cell and leachate construction - $1.325 million
Community safety
Lifeguard services at Cowes, Smiths Beach, Cape Woolamai and Inverloch - $60,000
Managing lost animals at the pound - $19,600
Immunisation program for over1,000 children - $61,700
Traffic management support at events and emergencies - $50,000
Parking, enforcement and special event support - $259,000
Planning for and managing emergencies - $260,000
Financial support to the SES - $175,000
Environmental services
Cleaning Council managed foreshores - $138,000
Maintaining boating facilities - $90,000
Foreshore weed control, upgrades to beach access tracks and other foreshore projects - $332,000
Administrative and payroll support, office space and financial contribution to Landcare and roadside weed control - $116,375
The 2011/12 budget provides nearly $12 million for maintaining local roads, footpaths and drainage systems continuing on with strong commitments to these areas from previous years.
Cr Ross Smith
Roads, footpaths and public facilities
Toilet cleaning, repairs and maintenance - $485,000
Public lighting - $30,100 (new) and $342,000 (maintenance)
Footpath and bike path maintenance $170,000
Street cleaning, removing litter and looking after roadside vegetation - $715,000
Grading unsealed roads - $909,000
Sealed road maintenance - $715,000
Improvements to traffic flow - $42,000
Kerb and channel maintenance - $70,000
Parks and gardens
Grass and turf maintenance and care - $752,000
Tree maintenance - $900,000
Tree planting - $53,000
Park furniture maintenance (eg benches, tables etc) - $67,000
Cleaning up vandalism - $38,000
Replacing playground equipment - $98,000
The provision and maintenance of leisure, recreation and cultural facilities through the 2011/12 budget, provides the basis for a healthy and vibrant Bass Coast community.
Cr John Duscher
Leisure and recreation
Supporting the Wonthaggi Arts Centre – $61,305
Maintenance or assistance to leisure centres and committees of management of halls and reserves - $934,277
Contributing to the operation of three libraries and a mobile library service - $1.18 million
Improving recreational playing surfaces (football and netball program) - $149,000
Providing up to $170,000 in community grants
Tourism is one of the most vital industries in the Shire. The budget supports tourism by providing significant funding in 2011/12.
Cr Phil Wright.
Tourism and economic development services
Running Visitor Information Centres - $494,256
Supporting special events - $452,000
Helping small businesses - $116,000
Tourism development services (including promotion and support) - $412,668
Providing up to $68,000 in community grants for events
Governance and operational services
Modernising the information technology network - $283,000
Maintenance and development of website and intranet - $52,200
Running Customer Service Centres - $570,000
Producing corporate publications, including Coastell newsletter, budget brochure and Annual Report - $103,500
Planning and building
Statutory planning - includes processing more than 640 planning applications valued at over $130 million, issuing more than 660 planning certificates, and undertaking investigations into alleged breaches of the Planning Scheme - $731,920
Strategic planning - includes developing a Rural Strategy to provide direction about use and development in our rural areas and developing planning policies and amendments to ensure the social, economic and environmental principles of the Shire are upheld - $600,778
Building services includes processing 1,340 building permits that make possible more than $280 million of development, investigating building regulation breaches and issuing over 1,320 building certificates - $187,981