EMBRACING creativity and fresh ideas will be key to catching the ears of government, according to Wyndham mayor Heather Marcus, following the announcement of a new congestion campaign.
The council’s draft 2013-14 budget, tabled on Monday night, includes a $1 million fund aimed at shaking up the way it lobbies for roads cash.
The campaign will be funded through the capital works program and operating expenditure, after municipal charges were increased by $7.15. The campaign will initially be funded for two years, with the money used for council projects and to lobby state and federal governments to carry out transport works.
Cr Marcus said the council needed to take matters into its own hands after being overlooked by governments for too long.
“We have lobbied really hard but we are concerned we are getting left behind,” she said.
“We are concerned that the infrastructure is not being put in place. If the governments don’t start listening, that gap will become wider.”
Cr Marcus said the campaign would be “something very different”.
“This needs to break away from letter-writing campaigns – there has to be one message that will grab the attention of everybody.
“It’s very important now that it becomes a very creative exercise. We want to work creatively with the youth . . . on all media platforms, and I think you will see this being something very different to what has ever been seen before in this city.”
The draft budget also proposes to raise rates by an average of 5.5 per cent, boosting council coffers by $138.03 million.
The rates bill for a house worth $357,000 will rise by 5.48 per cent. Garbage charges will increase from $242 to $250, while general fees and charges will go up about 3 per cent. Ratepayers will also have to pay a fire levy charge of about $141. If approved, the budget will include a $91.89 million capital works program.
The council plans to spend $29.01 million on the first stage of the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre redevelopment, with $10.9 million set aside to begin the Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre project. Both will run over two financial years.
More than $27 million will be spent on roads and pavements, including $1.31 million to improve the intersection of Forsyth and Sayers roads and $5 million to build Armstrong Road.
The draft budget is available at wyndham.vic.gov.au, the civic centre and libraries for comment until June 12.
