2024-25 Budget delivers capital works boost and rate cuts
Published on 27 June 2024
Mildura Rural City Councillors tonight endorsed the 2024-25 Budget, paving the way for the rollout of a healthy $49.7 million capital works program while cutting rates for more than 17,500 land-owners.
The increased capital works program over the previous financial year includes:
The Budget endorsed tonight included an amendment moved by Cr Glenn Milne, removing $1.5 million in proposed borrowings.
Mildura Mayor Liam Wood said the $160.84 million Budget managed to strike the difficult balance between maximising rate cuts while continuing to drive the region forward and deliver services to the community.
“Despite the ongoing, challenging economic climate, including ever-increasing cost-shifting by state and Federal Governments, our Financial Services team has once again managed to develop a financially responsible budget,” Cr Wood said.
“It not only ensures we minimise as much as possible any rate increases on our community, but allows us to push ahead and continue to undertake projects that improve the lives of our residents, such as the Red Cliffs Early Years Hub.
“Importantly, it also allows us to continue to deliver the more than 100 essential services our community rightly expects and deserves.
“This includes increased spending on early years services, roads, recreation and leisure services, which are some our community’s most utilised services.”
The Mayor said that despite the 2.75% rate increase under the Fair Go Rate Cap, factors including changes to some property values over the past 12 months meant more than half of all land-owners in the municipality - or 17,545 properties owners - could expect a reduction in their Council rates.
Other highlights in the Budget include more than $10 million on parks, playgrounds and trees and almost $4.5 million on community health, safety and wellbeing initiatives.
ENDS