Council adopts 2015/16 Annual Business Plan and Budget
The City of Victor Harbor adopted its 2015/16 budget at a Special Council meeting on 6 July 2015.
The $24.5 million expenditure budget delivers a surplus of $61,700 and includes a net capital expenditure of $10.5 million.
The Council has worked hard on the 2015/16 budget to achieve a balance of services and capital works that meets the needs of the community, at the same time as keep rate increases as low as possible.
The 2015/16 Annual Business Plan and Budget shows council undertaking a number of major infrastructure projects including Year 1 of the Fleurieu Regional Aquatic Centre construction, Stage 1 of the Mainstreet Precinct redevelopment, Stage 1 of the Ocean Road reconstruction and the final stage of the Foreshore Promenade Bikeway project.
In 2015/16 Council’s rate revenue will increase by 4%, including growth. The average rate increase will be 3.4% with the average residential rate to increase by 2.6%. This is the lowest average residential rate increase Council has delivered in a decade.
View City of Victor Harbor’s 2015/16 Annual Business Plan and Budget.
Cost of living concessions
Until this year, the State Government funded concessions on Council rates. These concessions were formerly available to the holders of pensioner concession cards, veterans, low-income earners, unemployed, students and self-funded retirees. These concessions were all abolished by the State Government with effect from 30 June 2015.
From 1 July 2015, the State Government has elected to replace these concessions with a single “cost of living payment” provided directly to those entitled. This payment may be used to off-set Council rates.
Note that not all former recipients of rates concessions will be entitled to the new payment. To check eligibility, contact the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) Concessions Hotline on 1800 307 758 or at www.sa.gov.au/.
Centres Review Development Plan Amendment Update
The City of Victor Harbor urged the Minister for Planning to hold off on authorising its Centres Review Development Plan Amendment (DPA) until infrastructure negotiations are finalised when the DPA was lodged with the State Government on 30 June.
At a Special Meeting held on 29 June, Council endorsed a revised version of the DPA which looks at the zoning of three Neighbourhood Centre sites within the Council area. This includes the Makris site on Waitpinga Road, Old TAFE site on Adelaide Road and a site on Waggon Road.
The Council highlighted that it has worked hard to ensure the DPA submitted to the Minister reflects the best interest of the Victor Harbor community and the surrounding region. From the beginning of this process, it has been clear that the Centres Review DPA is about supporting the growing population of Victor Harbor and its surrounds, and strategically planning for investment in building and infrastructure.
Council received correspondence from the Minister for Planning, who signs off on all DPA’s, advising that the Centres Review DPA will automatically lapse on 1 July should council fail to lodge it by 30 June.
The Council has lodged the DPA with the Minister in good faith, and will continue to negotiate infrastructure agreements with developers. The agreements aims to ensure City of Victor Harbor ratepayers are not solely responsible for new infrastructure required because of the proposed developments, which includes stormwater, traffic management treatments and footpaths.
Mayor Philp said work will continue on the infrastructure agreements while Council eagerly waits for a response from the Minister.
“Finalising the infrastructure agreements is a top priority for the Council, and this will be our focus in the coming weeks,” said Mayor Philp.
“It is crucial that Council reaches agreement with developers on infrastructure contributions before the DPA is approved. Our community will be short changed if we are not given the opportunity to do so.”
Find out more about the Centres Review DPA.
Santos Tour Down Under and Bupa Challenge Tour back in Victor Harbor in 2016
The City of Victor Harbor is thrilled to have secured a stage finish as well as the popular Bupa Challenge Tour in the 2016 Santos Tour Down Under.
The race routes for the internationally recognised cycling event were announced in Adelaide on 2 July, with the City of Victor Harbor named as the host of the Stage 4 finish on Friday, 22 January 2016.
More information about the 2016 Santos Tour Down Under is available at
www.tourdownunder.com.au
Want to do business with the City of Victor Harbor?
Businesses that would like to provide services or goods to the City of Victor Harbor are encouraged to seek inclusion in Council’s Contractor Register.
Registration requires provision of information about your safety management system, relevant licenses, qualifications, training and insurance, as well as participation in a Council induction.
The next Corporate Work Health and Safety induction for contractors will be held on Tuesday, 18 August 2015 from 9am-10am at the City of Victor Harbor Civic Centre.
RSVPs are essential, email localgov@victor.sa.gov.au or call (08) 8551 0500.
Questions from the gallery
The procedure for asking questions from the gallery at City of Victor Harbor council meetings has recently been amended. Members of the community wishing to ask a question, need to provide their question in writing to the Chief Executive Officer by 5pm on the day of the Council meeting.
There are a number of ways to submit your questions (don’t forget to include your name and address!):
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By email – to localgov@victor.sa.gov.au
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By post – to PO Box 11, Victor Harbor SA 5211 (Remember to allow for sufficient time for postage – it needs to be received by Council before 5pm)
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Deliver in person – to the Civic Centre, 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor.
View Council’s guidelines and procedure for questions from the gallery.
Remember, you don’t have to wait for a Council meeting to raise a concern or ask a question. You can contact an Elected Member or Council officer by email, phone or in person.
Revised landscape plans for Brandwood Reserve upgrade
The community was asked to provide their feedback on plans to upgrade Brandwood Reserve during May 2015. Following the consultation period, the landscape plans have been revised.
The main revisions include:
- Removing the viewing platform from the design
- Removing the barbecue facilities
- Picnic area focused on upper area of the park
- Potential stormwater issues flagged to be addressed in the future
- Limiting facilities to a ‘neighbourhood park level’ to help alleviate concerns of increased traffic around the site.
Council endorsed the revised landscape plans at the June meeting, and approved a staged implementation subject to budget allocations and grant funding.
Works are intended to be undertaken in a staged approach, with grant funding applications to be made over the next couple of financial years.
Final plans are available for viewing in the Civic Centre or on Council’s website.
So many things to love about Victor Harbor
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories about what it is that makes Victor Harbor so special during Council’s “What is it about this place!?!!” campaign.
We far exceeded our goal of capturing 500 Victor Harbor voices and have loved reading the things that people love about Victor Harbor.
The next step for this project, will be for Council and our team of Community Champions to look closely at the responses and summarise the findings to feed into a project that will help us to better communicate why Victor Harbor is a great place to live work and play.
View the responses and keep up to date with this project at www.yoursay.victor.sa.gov.au/victor-harbor-what-is-it-about-this-place.
Contact us via video call
Members of the community are now able to initiate video calls with council staff over the internet.
Council has introduced the new technology through funding from the Australian Government’s Digital Local Government Program that aims to bring about significant improvements in the quality, availability and speed of local government services.
To make a video call over the internet, visit www.victor.sa.gov.au and click on the ‘video call’ icon that appears on the right hand side of the page.
Learn more about this new function here.
Next Council meeting
The City of Victor Harbor’s next ordinary Council meeting will be held on Monday, 27 July 2015 from 5.30pm in the Council Chambers at 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor.
