RATES will rise by an average 5.5 per cent after Wyndham council approved its 2013-14 budget.
Councillors adopted the budget at Monday’s council meeting after receiving 12 submissions, including requests for funding for road widening in Little River and differential rates for retirement village residents.
Councillors, for a consecutive year, knocked back the retirement villages’ request, saying it would increase the rates burden on other ratepayers.
Included in the budget is $29 million for stage one of the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre redevelopment and $10 million for the Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre redevelopment.
A $92 million capital works program also includes $27 million for roads, including $5 million to start construction of Armstrong Road.
Cr Bob Fairclough said the budget challenged the council to meet infrastructure needs while retaining a strong financial position.
“The growth here is real and the need for infrastructure is real.
‘‘We have worked hard in this budget to deliver the services we need to make sure our city is liveable.”
