Yarra City Council’s Budget 2023/24 puts community first, paving the way to a financially sustainable future, without compromising service delivery. By being smarter and more efficient in how we utilise funds, we can provide for both current and future residents.
“We are proud to present a Budget that delivers key projects our community wants and paves the way to a more financially sustainable future, without compromising service delivery,” Yarra Mayor, Claudia Nguyen said.
“By employing careful and considered cost saving measures, this year’s Budget puts Council in a healthy long-term financial position. Financial sustainability ensures we can consistently deliver services and infrastructure to current and future residents.”
“Yarra City Council prides itself on the quality, accessibility, and diversity of services we provide to the community. In addition to the services most councils provide, Yarra offers community support programs including affordable childcare and disability services, and a broad range of fitness and leisure facilities and programs.”
“Despite significant economic challenges, we have delivered a Budget that ensures the continued provision of our community services and delivers a projected Budget surplus of approximately $15 million. The surplus will help ensure we can deliver our capital works program from our existing reserves and avoid incurring new debt.”
“Cost-saving measures include adjusting our staffing allocation to hold staffing costs, cutting expenditure, and improving our planning processes for greater oversight of capital works delivery.”
“Rates revenue will increase by 3.5% overall in line with the Victorian Government’s rate cap. As part of this Budget, Council has resolved to separate waste service charges from general rates.”
“We will continue to support vulnerable community members through our Hardship Policy and Pensioner Rebate.”
“Yarra City Council is committed to ongoing reviews to find additional savings and cost efficiencies across all Council operations including a rolling program of service reviews, reviewing capital works delivery management, tight expenditure control, reduction of debt and the development of a long-term Financial Sustainability Strategy including a deliberative engagement process.”
“We are grateful to everyone in our community who helped shape this year’s Budget. We heard from hundreds of people about their priorities and vision for the future during broad community consultation in November and December 2022, and over a hundred more in April and May with their feedback on the draft Budget.”
“Key projects this year include a $100,000 fund for housing and homelessness, a better school commute for families, local liveable streets, more parks and open spaces, tackling the climate emergency, and better bicycle and road infrastructure.”
“Everyone in Yarra should have access to affordable housing. I am proud that Council last night endorsed a proposal to increase funding to support our community’s most vulnerable.”
- A $100,000 boost to our Community Housing grants stream to support initiatives that provide emergency rent relief to those experiencing financial rental distress; support people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness; and address the social and cultural impacts for tenants of community housing.
- Delivering and designing new parks, and upgrading existing ones, including feasibilities study for the Roads to Open Space project.
- Improvements and upgrades to sporting facilities including additional portable changerooms added to the Yambla Street Pavilion to increase capacity for local football clubs, while a redesign of the existing pavilion is undertaken.
- Preparation and planning for the New Deal for Schools, a flagship transport program to increase the proportion of children walking, cycling and scooting to school, reduce school traffic and improve the school commute for families.
- Making a range of improvements across Yarra’s bicycle network with a focus on Strategic Cycling Corridors like Wellington Street’s bicycle lanes.
- Improving road safety and amenity with major infrastructure upgrades, improvements to pedestrian and traffic infrastructure including in priority areas of Cremorne, and the development of a parking strategy.
- Continued rollout of the Zero Carbon Business programs to support Yarra residents and businesses to reduce emissions by creating efficient, electric homes and businesses powered by renewable energy.
- Supporting local trader groups and associations in placemaking and precinct activations to keep the local economy thriving.
- Ongoing implementation of the community-led Local Liveable Streets initiative to turn our streets into liveable and dynamic spaces for the community.
- Accelerating Yarra’s Tree Planting program as a Natural Cooling Climate Emergency Response by increasing annual planting from 330 to 660 trees.
- Planning for upgrades to Smith Street and Gertrude Street tram stops including identifying location, design, economic impacts and accessibility and social equity considerations.
- Enhancing youth engagement and participation, focusing on at-risk young people, promoting the voices of young people and participation in decision-making and employment opportunities.
- Delivering an education and safety program around e-scooter parking and management for safe and liveable streets.
- Ongoing funding for community street events and activations that celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Yarra, like Lunar New Year and the Johnston St Fiesta.
- Improving the community’s digital access and customer experience with upgrades to the Council website to make it easier for residents to interact with Council, anywhere, anytime.
- Replacing library resources across all libraries and expanding the Open Library program to ensure these vital community hubs are relevant, resourceful and accessible for our community.
Read the Budget for 2023/24
The Budget 2023/24, the Long-term Financial Plan 2023/24 to 2032/33 and the Revenue and Rating Plan 2023/24 are all being updated following the outcomes of the Extraordinary Council meeting on Monday 19 June for the Budget adoption. Documents will be made available shortly.
