Council budget 2015-16

DERWENT VALLEY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

Derwent Valley Council Strikes Rates for 2015-2016  Financial Year

Derwent Valley Council met on Thursday evening  and has approved a rate increase for the 2015/16 financial year at 4%.

“Discussions around rates this year were were particularly hard”, Mayor Martyn Evans said.

“Council has to balance the needs and aspirations of the community against the community’s ability to sustain a rate increase.  This combined with changes to funding through the Financial Assistance Grants and other changes have had an impact on Council’s finances.

Major items funded in the budget include:

• Improvements to the amenities at the New Norfolk and Bushy Park Pools;
• Community safety measures at Tynwald Park;
• Outdoor gym equipment will be installed at Gleeson Park;
• Works will be undertaken at the top end of Blair Street;
• Installation of a footpath on Lachlan Road, near the shop, and;
• Implementation of Council’s STEPS Plan.

“The STEPS Plan will form the basis of Council’s strategies for improvements around the municipal area over the coming years.  We have been working on this document, with input from focus groups and the public for the last 18 months, and are now at a stage where we will be starting to implement some of the recommendations.”

“There are a number of smaller projects that Council contributes to such as the CWA Water Awareness Program, partnership in the Tree2Sea Project and support for Council’s Special Committees that work on specific projects,” Martyn Evans said.

A rate increase of 4% equals approximately $50 per year for most properties.  This financial year will also see adjustment in property values due to the Valuer-General’s two yearly adjustment factor.  This takes into account the changes in property values for this coming year.

“Council continues to look at innovative ways of resource sharing to ensure that rate increases are kept to a minimum. 

“This year Council has undertaken an arrangement with Brighton Council to accept refuse from their municipal area, the fee for this will off set the running and environmental costs associated with the Peppermint Hill Refuse area.  This will provide a long term saving to ratepayers in the Derwent Valley,” said Martyn Evans.