Average Greater Geelong residential rates bill likely $1480, $195m spend on community projects
The average residential rates bill in Greater Geelong for 2023-24 has been revealed as council’s budget includes millions for community infrastructure amid significant cuts and borrowing.
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The City of Greater Geelong plans to cut or scale back financial support to multiple community organisations, borrow millions to fund community infrastructure and find $4.5m in savings in 2023-24 which may include more job losses.
The figures part of council’s draft budget, released on Wednesday night, will also see $195m allocated to infrastructure projects in 2023-24 of which $70m will be borrowed.
Between 2023-24 and 2026-27 council plans to spend $616m on 254 community infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile the average City of Greater Geelong residential rates bill for 2023-24 is due to be about $1480, up $80 or 5.8 per cent from this financial year. The average commercial rates bill is expected to be set at $4937 next financial year.
The cost of council’s capital works program has ballooned by $130m, due to rises in building prices and other cost increases, which will see 25 projects, worth a combined $81m, put on hold.
On-hold projects include the Aldershot Reserve fenced dog park, Barrabool Rd, Highton footpaths, Bell Park/Bell Post Hill early years and community hub, and the Chilwell library redevelopment.
Other projects on hold include playspaces at Grantham Drive, Highton and Province Boulevard, Highton; the practice wicket redevelopment at Grinter Reserve, Moolap; the Kyema Drive, Lara drainage upgrade; Portarlington Recreation Reserve upgrade; Pakington Street, Geelong West upgrade; and St Helens Park, Rippleside upgrade.
Of these projects, council said: “While they are still on our agenda, we will need to find affordability or secure external funding before they can be delivered.”
**Public comment on council’s budget can be made via its website by 5pm May 24.**
Projects to begin, or be delivered by council, in 2023-24 include the Collendina Reserve pavilion upgrade in Ocean Grove ($694,000); the St Leonards Skate Park redevelopment ($529,000); and the Rippleside Park playspace ($3.55m).
Major projects set for completion in 2023-24 include the first stage of the North Bellarine aquatic centre, the Waurn Ponds playground, skate park and bmx track, and the Northern Aquatic and Community Hub which council will allocate $14.44m to next financial year.
In 2023-24 council is expected to be paid $240.8m in rates while the cost of staff wages and salaries is expected to hit $173.3m, up more than $7m from the previous year.
Council is working to find $4.5m in savings in 2023-24 but the sources of that saving is yet to be determined.
Asked if savings would come from reduced staff costs, acting chief executive Kaarina Phyland said: “We do have a couple of internal programs of work that are looking at efficiencies and we will be taking a review, and focus, to not only the way that we operate as an organisation, and that includes staff, but also in relation to the commerciality of some of our services, and making sure that they are working as hard as possible to deliver value for the community.”
Elsewhere council wants to drop its community infrastructure grants from $3m to $2.7m, and the total of its community grants to $3.99m, a reduction of 10 per cent or $427,000.
In 2023-24 council plans not to fund the Give Where You Live foundation, the Barwon Coast beach bus, maintenance of Howard Harmer Reserve, the Friends of Buckley Falls group and Oceanside lifeguard services.
Council will continue to fund Pako Festa, an Australia Day committee and community Christmas carols.
City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said council was operating in difficult financial circumstances.
“The cost of business is going up. However, we are not like a traditional business; where if your costs go up, you charge the customer more. We’re not about that. We’re putting up our rates in a small, succinct manner, which is reasonable under the Local Government Act,” Mr Sullivan said.
“Whilst our income is not increasing, we’re still trying to deliver as much (of) the outcomes as possible.”
Council will spend $195.9m on capital works in 2023-24 but that will drop significantly to
$138.3m in 2024-25. Council’s capital works spend is due to hit $157.7m in ‘25-26 and $124.3m in ’26-27.
Meanwhile the cost of delivering council services is predicted to rise by $7.6m to $370m between 2023-24 and 2026-27.
Council expects to hit a $1.28m operating surplus in 2023-24 but has signalled that will come after an $8m loss in 2022-23.
Council’s final budget is expected to be decided at its June 27 meeting.
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Originally published as Average Greater Geelong residential rates bill likely $1480, $195m spend on community projects
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