KINGSTON Council has approved its budget for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The draft budget was released for consultation in April and finalised at a meeting last week. Its surplus and rate rise went unchanged during the final stage of consultation – Kingston Council projects an $8.2 million surplus for the next financial year and is raising rates by an average of 2.75 per cent, in line with the state government’s rate cap. General rates have increased by around 3.7 per cent.
Kingston Council has set aside more than $85 million of ratepayer money for infrastructure projects in the 2024/2025 financial year. Around $35 million will be spent on the new aquatic centre near Jack Grut Reserve in Mordialloc.
In a statement, council said it considered more than 450 community submissions while putting together the budget. Kingston mayor Jenna Davey-Burns said “I am super proud to present the most collaborative budget in our city’s history. It includes the ideas and aspirations of our residents, and we can’t wait to put what we’ve heard into practice over the next year and beyond.”
“We have worked hard to strike the right balance between ensuring the necessary funding is available to provide all our vital community services, while maintaining our community assets, and still investing in new infrastructure like playgrounds, sporting facilities, walking and cycling paths and shopping strip upgrades,” she said. “In challenging economic times this is a responsible budget that reflects the wishes and needs of our community.”
To view the full budget visit kingston.vic.gov.au/budget.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 5th July 2024