Dubbo Regional Council draft 2021/22 budget and fees on meeting agenda

The draft 2021/22 budget and fees/charges, as well as the draft 2021/22 delivery program and operational plan, will go before the councillors at the April ordinary council meeting on Monday. If adopted, they will be placed on public exhibition for the community to give feedback.

That feedback will be used to shape the final budget for the upcoming year.

As it currently stands, rates will increase by two per cent, in line with the rate pegging limit, while sewerage and water charges will rise by 2.5 per cent.

It will take the residential water consumption charge from $2.12 per kilolitre to $2.17/kl for former Dubbo City Council residents, while for those in the former Wellington council area, usage up to and including 300kl will change from $2.30/kl to $2.36/kl.

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The domestic waste service is also proposed to rise. For residents with three bins it will now be $411, while for those with two bins it will be $335 for the year.

To reach a surplus, acting chief executive officer Dean Frost says cuts have had to be made.

The reconstruction works in Talbragar Street will not go ahead, nor will the installation of more gross pollutant traps. Beautification projects for neighborhood centres has also be put on hold, while tree planting expenditure has been reduced.

"There have been some challenges faced to get to a surplus budget for 2021/22 and forward budgets for 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, which have highlighted the importance of finding savings not only for the 2021/22 budget year, but ongoing," Mr Frost said in the budget report.

"Such challenges include decreases in income of $3 million received due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the fee income generated for the airport, a decrease of $1.5 million per annum in incomes received from invested funds and a decrease in income due to lowered entry prices at the aquatic leisure centres."

But it's not all bad news.

Council has proposed $19 million for urban roads and capital works in four years, which includes $8.6 million in 2021/22. The Boundary Road extension is on the list of major projects to be completed.

There's also another $10.8 million allocated to rural roads in the budget. $1.8 million alone will be spent during the financial year to reseal roads.

Almost $1 million will go towards the footpath and cycleway construction and renewal program and another $1 million is expect to be spent on continuing the Disability Access Infrastructure Replacement Fund.

While tree planting has been reduced, in the next four years $400,000 has still be allocated for street trees.

And $28.8 million is proposed across the four year period for water supply services.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?