KINGSTON Council’s draft budget for 2019/2020 has been released for public consultation.
Kingston mayor Georgina Oxley said the proposed budget “commits $221 million towards services for the city’s 163,400 residents, which range from weekly waste collection, operating the city’s libraries, manning school crossings across Kingston, providing more than 15,000 immunisations, more than 100,000 community care hours, and the maintenance of 367 parks, 60 sports grounds and 114 playgrounds.”
$5.2 million has been allocated to works at Mentone Reserve’s Soppett Pavilion, while the pavilion at Roy Dore has been allocated $4.4 million. The pavilion at Dales Park has had $2.5 million allocated to it, while $3.5 million has been made available for works at Kerr Crescent.
“The draft budget includes significant investments in environmental upgrades,” Cr Oxley said.
“Although the cost of recycling continues to rise, council will only pass on a waste increase of approximately $6 household and have allocated $1.5 million to introduce food organic waste disposal in 2019/2020, along with the funding needed to plant an additional thousand trees across the city.
“Kingston Council, due to its strong history of sound financial management, is well prepared to continue meeting the Victorian Government’s rate capping legislation that limits average rate rises to 2.5 per cent, whilst offering additional services and improvements including waiving fees for students with overdue library books to encourage more reading and visitation.”
The draft budget can be viewed at council’s customer service centres, local libraries, or at kingston.vic.gov.au. Written submissions must be made by 5pm, 6 June.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone New – 22 May 2019
