NO BUDGET BLOWOUTS AS RANDWICK REMAINS DEBT FREE

By Madeleine Gray on May 30, 2017 in News

Not many local councils can proudly state that they are debt free. Randwick Council is one of the lucky few. Council has just released its 2018 Budget & Operational Plan, and unlike most of us living on credit and canned tuna, it can say that it has now passed a decade of balanced budgets and significant infrastructure investment funded entirely without borrowings.

“It’s a point of pride for us that we can go to our residents year after year and let them know about the plans we have to improve Randwick City, without having to rely on loans,” Randwick Mayor Noel D’Souza said.

“Instead, we ensure we spend within our means and that all revenue is reinvested into the community.”

Council plans to invest $148m in services for the community, including $28.6m in direct capital expenditure for new and upgraded playgrounds, parks, roads and footpaths, which will be made up of $8.5m spent on parks and recreation, $13.1m on roads and new kerb and guttering, $5.8m on buildings, and $1.2m on drainage.

In excellent news for all would-be Woodbridges and Woodfordes in the local area, Heffron Park in Maroubra is set to receive $10mwith plans underway to construct a new tennis centre. Lycra enthusiasts will also be pleased to learn that the upgrades at Heffron will also include the construction of a new gymnastics centre.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs will also benefit from the bestowal of funds, with Council to contribute up to $3m to the new Rabbitohs home in Heffron – the remaining funds coming from the club, and state and federal grants.

Despite the traffic annoyance and general eyesore that is the construction works of the new light rail, things are looking up for pedestrians, residents, and businesses with $7 million to be invested as part of the Light Rail Support Plan to create more street parking and new town squares at Meeks Street, Kingsford and Waratah Avenue, Randwick.

The majority of Council’s funds come from rates paid by home and business owners. In 2017–18, rates will increase by 1.5 per cent. However, this will vary from home to home depending on individual land valuations. There will also be a marginal hike in the Domestic Waste Management Charge (that’s the charge for collecting your bins and undertaking kerbside clean-up services), which will rise by $11 to $554. That’s the price we pay for having houses that are not wilting under piles of trash, so who’s to argue?

There are also plans to extend the Coastal Walkway through the NSW Golf Course at La Perouse. This is part of Council’s long-term plan to create a continuous walkway from Clovelly to La Perouse.

The draft Budget was on public exhibition, and open to public consultation and feedback, from April 24 and May 22. Randwick Councillors will now consider the feedback from residents and adopt a final Budget & Operational Plan for the coming financial year.

According to Mayor D’Souza, all changes are in place to ensure that “there is no better place to live than right here in Randwick city.” Seems like a good plan to us.