Wyndham council’s 2014-15 budget has been unanimously supported by councillors, despite two of them voting against the draft document only eight weeks ago.
At the time, former mayor Heather Marcus and Cr Intaj Khan objected to the budget’s 5.5 per cent average rate rise and to plans to increase council borrowings by $15 million, to $55 million.
Cr Marcus warned that lifting the council’s debt to record levels could leave residents facing future rate rises of 10 per cent.
But at a special council meeting on Monday, councillors Marcus and Khan gave the budget their support, saying that voting against it would be detrimental to the community.
“Had it not been for the detrimental impact of the removal of services to this community, I would not be supporting a rate rise of 5.5 [per cent] this year,” Cr Marcus said. “I am putting this council on notice … I will not support significant rate rises nor high loan borrowings in the future.”
Cr Khan said he accepted the rate rise was in the best interests of the community.
The final budget includes a $104.29 million capital works program, revised down from $108.79 million because of a reduction in the council’s projected operating income.
Included in the works program is $16 million for a Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre redevelopment and $18 million for a Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre project.
Almost $30 million will be spent on roads. Other projects include installation of energy-efficient globes in the city’s street lamps ($2.5 million), a bridge over Skeleton Creek in Truganina ($2.27 million), and a library in Tarneit ($4.5 million).
Werribee Football Club was unsuccessful in its bid to secure $5.5 million to redevelop Chirnside Park, despite a warning that the ground is not VFL-compliant.
The council will spend $122,000 this year to complete designs for the project. Cr Gautam Gupta said external funding commitments were needed before the project could begin.
