COUNCIL has released the draft Delivery Program 2025–2029, the Operational Plan for 2025–26, and the accompanying budget for public comment.
These documents guide everything we do – from maintaining local roads and parks to investing in infrastructure and delivering community services.
They outline the projects and priorities for the years ahead, as well as how they will be funded.
Our plans outline three main priorities – roads, financial sustainability and customer experience.
I know that roads are a priority for our community and along with Councillors and staff have worked hard to invest more funds into roads for the coming year.
While it won’t be enough to meet the challenges we face, expenses have been cut to deliver a further $6.7 million funding for roads for 2025-26.
This brings the total roads funding to $68.47 million.
This covers both our maintenance and capital works projects.
The extra funds secured this year will be invested in key areas of increasing resealing, heavy patching and vegetation management, starting a drainage improvement program and renewing some line marking and guard rails on our higher risk roads.
Further improvements to our road network through the year will rely on extra funding from other levels of government.
Council will also be investing $7.171 million in community assets and our main projects are listed in the documents on public exhibition.
This is your opportunity to have a say on our plans.
I encourage everyone to review the draft documents and provide feedback on Council’s website before the consultation period closes.
I also want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank Councillor Dheera Smith, who recently retired from Council. Dheera’s thoughtful and compassionate approach to decision-making, along with her tireless advocacy for our community, has left a lasting impact.
She has been a strong voice on key issues and her presence around the Council table will be greatly missed.
We wish her all the best for the future and thank her sincerely for her service.
As always, I encourage you to stay engaged with the work we’re doing.
One way you can do that is by subscribing to the weekly newsletter News Wrap, which can be done through our website.
By Mayor Claire PONTIN
