Council adopts 2018-19 Budget, Fees and Charges

28 Jun 2018 2:26 PM -

Leeton Shire Council endorsed the 2018/19 Annual Operational Plan (including Fees and Charges) at its June Ordinary Council meeting.

Council’s Director Corporate and Community Craig Bennett said that Council received a total of 102 submissions in relation to the 2018/2019 Annual Operational Plan and Budget, as well as the Revenue Policy including Fees and Charges.

“The majority (63) of written submissions were made via Council’s online engagement platform – Have Your Say Leeton. A further 16 were sent via email, 13 were mailed to Council, 3 were presented from staff and Council received a petition signed by 25 business operators.”

Fees and charges that were discussed specifically at the June Ordinary Council meeting included the use of Council footpaths for business advertising and alfresco dining, onsite sewage management system service charges, hire fees for the Leeton Multipurpose Centre, sporting ovals subsidy and associated fees and swimming instructor fees for the use of the Leeton Swimming Pools for private lessons.

Key changes made at the meeting following consideration of public submissions were as follows:

• Use of Council Footpaths- $25 per annum flat fee was set to cover the administrative costs of issuing permits to use the Council footpath.

• Sporting Oval Charges/Subsidy- a flat subsidy opportunity of 80% of the fees set for local sporting organisations to use the Leeton Town Ovals Complex (including Mark Taylor Oval) and Yanco Sportsground. Annual fees for sporting clubs to use the Leeton Town Ovals Complex are $1500 and for Yanco Sportsground $1000.

• Onsite Sewage Management Systems (OSSMs)- flat service fee of $5 per annum for an approval to operate.  It is a legal requirement for all owners of onsite sewer management systems to hold an approval to operate. Fees will be used to inspect at least 40 septic systems per annum.

Also, the non-residential application to install or construct an Onsite Sewage Management Facility and application for an approval to alter or add to an existing OSSM were reduced to residential levels, being $380 and $180 respectively.

• Leeton Multipurpose Centre- the fees for community groups to hire the Multipurpose Centre for half a day were amended to $40 for half day and $60 for the full day. They now include use of both the kitchen and outdoor toilets, if required.

• Swimming Pool Instructor Fee- now set at $155 and not $200 which was proposed in the draft fees and charges.

An amendment was also made to Council’s 2018/19 Budget with the $225,000 recycling contingency removed from operational expenditure and the additional $167,982 income from Financial Assistance Grants added to the operational income section of the 2018/19 Budget. These changes will reduce Council’s budgeted deficit from $1.9 million to $1.5 million.  

Mayor Paul Maytom said that consultation surrounding the 2018/19 Budget, Fees and Charges had been extensive with residents and ratepayers whose constructive feedback was appreciated.

“People’s democratic right to have their say have been alive and well over the past month. A due process has been followed and I would like to sincerely thank all residents and ratepayers that provided formal submissions and those that publicly addressed their submissions with Council to ensure that all angles have been considered and fair decisions have been made.”

The 2018/19 Annual Operational Plan, Fees and Charges will be downloadable from Council’s website from Friday 29^th June.