Last week’s Special Council meeting adopted the draft budget with only minor changes to spending.
As foreshadowed in the draft budget released for public discussion, Council voted to increase rates by 2.7 per cent, the maximum allowed in the State imposed rates cap. .
There will also be a 2.72 per cent rise in the default waste charge to $203.60.
Most Council fees and charges will also increase 3.65 per cent.
Penalty rates for vacant land and retail
Council also approved differential rates up to 400 per cent higher for derelict, vacant land and empty retail properties.
This was opposed by Cr Clark who said the Port Phillip did not have a vacant land problem. ‘There are only 60 something properties in this category,’ she said. Cr Sikaroff also opposed the higher rates saying that council shouldn’t take from people who are already struggling in a harsh economic environment.
Supporters of the change said that even talking about the rate hike had prompted some land owners to activate their properties.
Three small changes
From many submissions, councillors agreed on three projects for inclusion in the budget, namely:
Elwood Park Tennis Club: $85,000 towards proposed capital works including $60,000 to install a tree root barrier and $25,000 towards asset renewal works.
South Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: $9,000 per year for three-years to fund rehearsal and performance space while the South Melbourne Town Hall is unavailable.
Port Phillip Multifaith Network: provision for $13,000 to facilitate the Faith Communities Council of Victoria’s Victorian Interfaith Networks Festival (VINF) to be held at St Kilda Town Hall.
Spendings and concessions
Also approved were:
Project investments of $114.3 million for services and assets (including over $44.9 million for land acquisition to provide more public open space)
Council-funded pensioner rates rebate increasing 4.8 per cent to $220
An extra $40,000 for food relief.
Read Council’s media release
