Shire’s budget bonanza

By Dion Teasdale
THE SHIRE of Yarra Ranges handed down its 2006/2007 budget last week, hailing it a major achievement for the environment, families, older people and major community projects.
The draft budget, unveiled by the shire’s mayor, Monika Keane, and chief executive, Rob Hauser, at a special council meeting on Tuesday, 6 June, was heralded as the widest ranging in the shire’s 11 year history.
It includes a $27.2 million capital works program – the largest ever in the life of the shire – which will see $10.7 million spent on local roads, and $7.2 million spent on community projects.
The shire will also spend $5.27 million on maternal and child health services, $1.18 million on youth programs and more than $6 million on services for older residents and people with disabilities.
A further $2.6 million has been earmarked for new initiatives and one off projects with a major focus on environmental leadership.
The shire will spend $1.1 million on township development and $1.9 million on sporting grounds, recreation reserves and public open spaces.
A total of $2.08 million will be spent resurfacing roads, $630,000 on traffic management, $579,000 upgrading unsealed roads and $300,000 on local road upgrades.
The shire will spend $509,500 on footpaths, $815,000 on improving drainage throughout the municipality, and $1.2 million on major public toilet upgrades.
Warburton was one of the biggest winners in the budget, attracting funding for a wide range of capital works and community infrastructure projects. The shire announced it would spend an additional $150,000 on the refurbishment of the Warburton Mechanics Institute, and $100,000 on toilet refurbishment and drainage improvement works at the Warburton Water Wheel.
The budget will also provide $120,000 for Warburton township improvements, which include construction of disabled access paths, and $50,000 for improved disabled access and technical equipment upgrades at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre.
The Warburton Recreation Reserve Masterplan has received $25,000 funding and the shire have carried forward $20,000 set aside for the Wesburn and Millgrove Recreation Reserve Masterplan from the current budget.
The shire has also allocated $35,000 to fund the construction of a bus shelter and concrete footpath at the Mayer Bridge bus stop on the Warburton Highway, near Scotchman’s Creek Road.
Warburton Advancement League representative, David Allen, who criticised the shire of ignoring safety concerns at the site in the Mail last month, said the funding was a great win for the Warburton community.
“It is great to know that in the next 12 months we’ll have the bus shelter we’ve been crying out for almost a decade,” he said.
The budget also provides continuing support for two major projects in Yarra Junction.
The shire has allocated a further $550,000 towards the creation of the Yarra Junction Family and Children’s Hub, and has carried forward $290,000 from the current budget to fund upgrade works at the Yarra Junction Senior Citizens Centre.