Corangamite Shire Council has unveiled its $53 million 2021-2022 draft budget

Corangamite Shire Council has unveiled its $53 million 2021-2022 draft budget and is inviting residents to have their say by the end of next week.

The council remains debt-free for the fourth year in a row, with a $6.4 million operating surplus. Rates will increase by 1.5 per cent. The council made $22.6 million from rates this financial year and is tipped to make $23 million next financial year.

A new $21 million capital works program includes $6.9 million for local roads and $5.3 million for the Port Campbell town centre upgrade, pending matched funding from the state and federal governments.

Cr Geraldine Conheady implored the tiers of government to come to the table with the cash. Footpaths will receive $125,000, $110,000 will go to new playgrounds and skate parks, and there will be $105,000 for apprentices and trainees.

The waste management charge will decrease slightly, by 0.78 per cent, reflecting an offset of savings from waste collection from the previous year.

Waste spend will fall from $3.8 million to $3.1 million in 2021-2022.

Mayor Ruth Gstrein said the council remained committed to maintaining local roads and advocating to the state and federal governments for further improvements to the arterial road network.

"This draft budget allocates $6.9 million to road rehabilitation, roads to recovery projects, re-sheeting and resealing," she said.

Some of the major road projects include widening and rehabilitation of Linton Road ($675,000), Carpendeit-Bungador Road ($365,000) and Depot Road at Camperdown ($340,000) and rehabilitation of East Hill Road ($375,000), Williams Road ($250,000), Blind Creek Road ($214,000), Kilnoorat Road ($213,000), and Stewarts Road ($130,000).

There will also be upgrades and sealing on Parkers Access Road and Moonlight Head Road ($250,000). Grants programs continue to be supported with $80,000 each for facility grants and events & festivals grants, $60,000 for business incentive grants and $50,000 for community grants.

"These will leverage the opportunities that have arisen over the past 12 months, particularly the exodus of people from the city and suburbs to rural and regional areas," Cr Gstrein said. "The initiatives will create more residential allotments to meet growing demand."

Cr Gstrein encouraged residents to get a copy of the draft budget and have their say. It can be downloaded from www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/draftbudget .

Hard copies are available by calling council on 5593 7100. Council will meet to consider adoption of the budget on Tuesday, June 29 at 7 pm at the Camperdown Theatre Royal.