Proposed 2024-25 Budget

Mansfield Shire Council adopted the 2024-25 Budget at its Ordinary Council Meeting held Tuesday 25 June 2024. A copy of the adopted budget can be found at www.mansfield.vic.gov.au/Budget-2024-25

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Community members are invited to consider the Proposed 2024-25 Budget.

The budget outlines what Council will deliver over the next 12 months including new initiatives and core services and how they will be funded.

You can view the Proposed 2024-25 Budget on the right hand side of this page under Budget Documents. If you require a physical copy of the proposed budget, please contact Council by phone on 03 5775 8555 to request that a print copy be made available for collection.

Submissions will be accepted up to 5:00 pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

Highlights of the Proposed Budget 2024-25

The 2024-25 budget proposes a 2.25% rate increase, which is lower than the State Government Rate Cap of 2.75% with a total operating expenditure of $23.5 million and a $18.75 million Capital Works Program.

Key Infrastructure Projects

The key infrastructure projects include in the Proposed 2024-25 Budget are:

• Completing the IMPACT Route with Highton Lane, Rifle Butts Road and Chapel Hill works being finalised, including upgrade of the Lanky Creek crossing and the bridge over the Delatite River.
• Progressing the Mansfield Heritage Museum, working with the Mansfield Historical Society and other project partners including Taungurung on the fit-out of the building.
• Malcolm Street Reconstruction Program Stage 1– improving the road surface from Highett Street to Village Court.
• Township Sealing Program – upgrade of James Street, Bonnie Doon.
• Installation of solar panels at the Mansfield Sporting Complex and upgrade of streetlights to LED lighting as part of our Climate Action Plan.
• Installation of shared footpaths at Piries-Goughs Bay Road, Kidston Parade, and Mansfield-Woods Point Road in Jamieson.

New Initiatives

In addition to the planned delivery of services, Council will invest in new service initiatives to support our growing community including:

• A new shared footpath from Howqua Inlet to the Caravan Park, to ensure visitors to our community aren’t walking on the road unsafely.
• A permanent undercover stage at the Botanic Park for performing arts and Australia Day events, saving more than $9,000 per year to host community events.
• Purchase and installation of a new weather station system which will provide much needed weather data linking back to the Bureau of Meteorology and support the community with more relevant weather information for our Shire, and provide improved data for planning and development.
• A new spring clean-up event for green waste (disposal free of charge) and we will also be bringing back tip-vouchers for free disposal of green waste at the Mansfield Resource Recovery Centre (MRRC) once per year.
• Upgrade of the Re-Use Shop at the MRCC, reducing how much we send to landfill and helping to reduce costs for waste disposal.
• Streamlining our planning systems to make it easier to apply for permits, make payments and track applications, as part of our digital transformation program. This puts systems in place that mean we can deal with regional growth in a more efficient way.
• Commitment to ongoing Outlying Communities Infrastructure Fund ($75K) to support and engage outlying communities to deliver new infrastructure projects for the enjoyment of all community members.
• Expanded Volunteer Program – increased officer time to provide support for expansion of Council’s volunteer program and attract, induct and on-board new volunteers. Initiative includes officer time, additional volunteer training and materials, and continued L2P program.
• Continue the Community Connections Officer role to support and provide advocacy for the community during the Australian Government’s transition to a Single Assessment Model for home and community care services – to be completed in December 2024.
• Increased frontline resources to create productivity savings through bringing fire inspections in-house and increased presence within the Local Laws team, increased mechanical resources to undertake additional vehicle and heavy plant servicing in-house at a reduced cost and new ongoing full-time leading hand position in the parks and garden team to increase capability and support recreational facilities and open space improvements across the Shire.

Waste Charge

Council's cost of waste collection services will reduce moving into 2024-25 due to the renegotiation of waste service contracts with our primary service provider. This has resulted in the following reductions to our waste charges proposed from 1 July 2024:

• Community Waste - down 6% to $86.29
• Kerbside Garbage 80L – down 8% to $172.72
• Kerbside Garbage 120L - down 8% to $259.08
• Kerbside Garbage 240L - down 8% to $518.16
• Kerbside Recycling 240L - down 18% to $137.87
• Kerbside FOGO 240L (Green Bin) - $98.69 (new service charge)

Hence, the average household waste charge will reduce by 10% for those households not receiving a new green bin.

This year will see the rollout of FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics – green bin) with the new service set to be introduced from 1 July 2024. This service will commence in Mansfield and will be progressively rolled out to townships in outlying areas in the first half of 2024-25.

Each household included in the collection areas will receive a 240L green lid bin and will contribute to reducing the amount of green waste currently deposited into landfill, which is estimated at 30% within the shire.

The cost of this new service will be an additional $40.46 per year to the average household waste charge ($581.93 total charge inclusive of green bin) for residents who receive the new service, consistent with the advice provided to community during consultation over the waste and recycling service collection frequencies.

Response to Community Consultation

Council ran a community consultation from 8 January – 31 January prior to the preparation of the Budget. More than 70 submissions were received and Council considered each of them. As a result, the proposed Budget 2024/25 now includes well over 80% of the submissions:

• Shared footpath from Howqua Inlet to Howqua caravan park: 41 Submissions (58%)
• Undercover Stage Area at Botanic Park: 7 Submissions (10%)
• New Bike ‘Pump Track’: 6 Submissions (8%)
• Joining of two footpaths from bottom of Kareen Crt, to bottom of Oaksford Drv: 1 Submission
• Continuation of footpath between top end of Malcolm St, and Kidston Parade: 1 Submission
• European wasp control: 1 Submission
• Woods Point roads, guttering and footpath near public toilets: 2 Submissions
• Power upgrade for Bonnie Doon Community Centre and shade sails over the playground and sandpit: 1 Submission

Proposed Rating Differentials

The Proposed 2024-25 Budget includes revised rating differentials as follows:

How You Can Be Involved

Community Forums

Mansfield Shire residents and ratepayers are invited to attend a community budget information session to be facilitated by Councillors and senior officers regarding the Proposed 2024-25 Budget as follows:

To attend either of the above information sessions you must register your attendance via email at budget@mansfield.vic.gov.au, or call 5775 8555.

Ask a Question

You can ask a question about the Proposed Budget at the bottom of this page. Council will endeavour to answer questions each day during the working week.

The opportunity to ask a question will close at 5:00pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

*Note that questions are not formal Council submissions and will not be presented to Council for consideration.

Submissions

Ratepayers and members of the community are welcomed to make a submission to the Proposed 2024-25 Budget.

Submissions can be made via the Make a Submission tab at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, submissions can be delivered by either of the following methods:

• Email: budget@mansfield.vic.gov.au
• Post: Private Bag 1000, Mansfield VIC 3724

Submissions delivered by email or post must be clearly identified as such and made in writing, addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Kirsten Alexander.

All written submissions are public documents and will form part of a report to Council.

All submissions must be received by Council no later than 5:00pm on 7 June 2024. Council is not obliged to consider any submissions received after this time.

What Happens Next?

The opportunity to ask a question or make a submission will close at 5:00pm on 7 June 2024.

Council will deliver and adopt the final Budget 2024-25 at the Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 25 June 2024.