CITY OF MANDURAH BUDGET FOR 2008-09
The City’s capital expenditure program for 2008-09 will deliver the following key projects:
- Construction commencement of the Port Bouvard Surf Sports and Life Saving Club and the Allnutt Street Community Facility
- Completion of the Meadow Springs Sports Facility Stage 1 and commencement of Stage 2
- Completion of the Port Mandurah land subdivision
- Major road construction works for Sutton Street, Bortolo Drive and Allnutt Street (the East-West Link road)
- Improvement to Sholl Street through traffic
- Commencement of the Tims Thicket Recycling facility
- Additional boat pens at Mary Street Lagoon and Dolphin Pool
- Implementation of the Electronic Document Management System
For local ratepayers, the overall rise in rates ranges between 7.5 and 8.5 per cent. For example, the owner of a residential improved property paying the minimum rate would be looking at paying $686 in rates this financial year.
Mandurah Chief Executive Officer Mark Newman said operating expenditure had been increased by 20 per cent to provide for additional maintenance on Roads, Footpaths, Community Facilities and the City’s ever-growing Parks and Reserves, and additional staff had to be recruited to cope with the City’s growth.
“While the Council is fully aware that households in Mandurah are facing additional and unwanted cost increases, the Council has had to make its decision based on some harsh realities,” Mr Newman said.
“The cost of servicing the additional growth in Mandurah is reflected in all areas of the City’s business. We have to ensure that we are sustainable for the future so the key issues for us within this budget were fuel, the cost of utilities, oil-related products and maintenance and staff costs.
“The increase in fuel prices in the Peel Region alone has seen a 60 per cent increase in diesel during 2007-08 with unleaded petrol also increasing significantly.
“The volatility in global oil prices, has placed pressure not only on fuel prices but also on a range of other products, such as plastics and some road materials, so we have had to factor in the possibility of further increases.
“Construction costs are also rising significantly in Western Australia, which is also impacting on us significantly.”
Mr Newman said rapid increases in fuel prices and increasing landfill costs via the State Government landfill levy had signalled increases in waste management charges.
“The 2008-09 annual refuse collection charge which includes the annual hard waste collection service, has been set at $210 representing an increase in the waste management charge of 58 cents a week or $30 for the year,” he said.
“The current gas shortage, although a short-term issue and not impacting on us greatly at this stage, has affected the ability of some key suppliers to produce and deliver products such as bricks and bitumen, which has meant that some road works that should have been completed in 2007-08 have had to be included in our 2008-09 budget to compensate for the delays in obtaining materials.”
Mr Newman said overall the City’s financial sustainability was improving, and was enabling the City to reduce its backlog or required community infrastructure.
“We are in a better position for the future and will continue to prioritise capital investment for community infrastructure and maintain control over our operating costs especially considering the current cost pressures.”
RELEASE ENDS
31 July 2008