Budget 2024-25
Mansfield Shire Council adopted the 2024-25 Budget and Revised Revenue & Rating Plan 2021-2025 at its Ordinary Council Meeting held Tuesday 25 June 2024.
The adoption of the budget followed two comprehensive community consultation processes undertaken in January 2024 and May 2024, which included presentations by Councillors at a community forum.
The 2024-25 budget contains a 2.25 percent rate increase below the State Government Rate Cap (set at 2.75%) and provides for a total operating expenditure of $23.5 million and a record capital works program of $18.75 million.
Key indicators within the 2024-25 Budget include:
- Operating Surplus: $10.223 million
- Underlying operating surplus: $0.418 million
- Asset renewal of $4.898 million compared to depreciation of $5.069 million, new assets $1.294 million and asset upgrades $8.104 million
In addition to the planned delivery of services, the Budget incorporates funding of several new initiatives. The new initiatives are as follows:
- Purchase and installation of a new weather station system
- A new spring clean-up event for green waste (disposal free of charge) and tip-vouchers for free disposal of green waste at the Mansfield Resource Recovery Centre (MRRC) once per year
- Upgrade to the Re-Use shop at the Mansfield Resource Recovery Centre
- Streamlining of planning services to make it easier to apply for permits, make payments and track applications as part of our digital transformation program.
- Continued commitment to the Outlying Communities Infrastructure Fund
- Expanded Volunteer Program – increased officer time to provide support for expansion of Council’s volunteer program and attract, induct and on-board new volunteers.
- Continuing the Community Connections Officer role to support and provide advocacy for the community during the Australian Government’s transition to a Single Assessment Model for home and community care services – to be completed in December 2024.
- Increased frontline resources to create productivity savings through bringing fire inspections in-house and increased presence within the Local Laws team.
- Increased mechanical resources to undertake additional vehicle and heavy plant servicing in-house at a reduced cost and new ongoing full-time leading hand position in the parks and garden team to increase irrigation capability and support recreational facilities and open space improvements across the Shire.
- Finalisation of a Flood Study into flood prone areas.
- Additional resources for weed management, controlling weeds such as blackberry and Patterson’s curse, and improving environmental mapping.
- Purchase of Bowling Club land (over two years) – offset by the sale of Lakins Road land.
Key infrastructure projects included in the 2024-25 Capital Works Program are:
- Completing the IMPACT Route with Highton Lane, Rifle Butts Road and Chapel Hill works being finalised, including upgrade of the Lanky Creek crossing and the bridge over the Delatite River.
- Progressing the Mansfield Heritage Museum. We are working with the Mansfield Historical Society and other project partners including Taungurung on the fit-out of the building.
- Malcolm Street Reconstruction Program Stage 1– improving the road surface from Highett Street to Village Court.
- Township Sealing Program – upgrade of James Street, Bonnie Doon.
- Installation of solar panels at the Mansfield Sporting Complex and upgrade of streetlights to LED lighting as part of our Climate Action Plan.
- Installation of shared footpaths at Piries-Goughs Bay Road, Kidston Parade, and Mansfield-Woods Point Road in Jamieson.
Other major programs of work for the 2024-25 financial year include:
- Rolling out green waste bins for food and organic waste.
- Filling in more of the missing links in our shared path network.
- Working with our community to create the Delatite Valley Plan.
- Increasing funding for stormwater and bridges to address:
- Longstanding localised flooding issues on Rowe Street, Mansfield and Hurley St, Woods Point.
- Major upgrade works on the Graves Road culvert.
- Bridge renewal works for Bracks Bridge, Goughs Bay.
- A parking study as part of the High Street Masterplan to improve accessibility to the Mansfield township and respond to growth.
- Creation of a Wetlands Management Plan for ongoing management of the Mullum Wetlands.
In addition to the budget, Council also adopted the Revised Revenue and Rating Plan to modify the differentials applied to each property category to ensure a more equitable distribution of the general rates revenue.
Mansfield Shire Council Budget 2024-25(PDF, 4MB)
Revenue and Rating Plan 2021-25(PDF, 3MB)