Moyne Shire ratepayer slams council for 'ignoring' Koroit in budget

Mr Rudolph said Koroit's services were well below par because of years of under-investment from Moyne Shire.

"It's a game of catch-up really because there's been a lack of public investment in the township for so long," he said.

"Now Koroit's growing, the services aren't adequate. It needs to be brought up to speed for the population that is here."

But he said the council wasn't even trying to make up for the lack of investment, allocating a "measly" $180,000 in capital works to Koroit in the draft budget.

Mr Rudolph said the comparative riches rained on Port Fairy were a "joke", even taking a swipe at the Port Fairy Football Netball Club, which he coached until 2017.

"It's hard not to compare the amount of capital works and large projects funded in Port Fairy to that of Koroit as both towns have a similar permanent population," he said.

"With Port Fairy receiving in this budget $1.3 million for a new skate park, $400,000 for an under-performing football netball club, $1 million for caravan park upgrades, $20,000 for sustainable lighting at East Beach, $300,000 for (the) railway goods shed.

"It's hard to go past the fact that four of the seven councillors reside in Port Fairy."

A council spokesman said the $1 million for the Gardens Caravan Park was for essential electrical upgrades affecting the whole reserve, not just the caravan park.

Mr Rudolph said it was "quite frankly, offensive" for the council to encourage people to vote for Koroit as best tourist town when it had allowed the township to become "visibly run down".

"If you are really serious about Koroit being a tourist town, put your money where your mouth is," he said.

"The Moyne Shire Council has been aware and is very much still aware that the main footpath on Commercial Road is unsafe with no budget allocation in 2023-24. Community groups have been ignored and left stranded on this project.

"From what council put forward as their number one priority project in 2022-23, to now; no budget allocation. What the?

"I find it deeply insulting to see that there will be an $8 million surplus and only $180,000 of capital works spent on Koroit."

The council spokesman said the Koroit township renewal was its "number one advocacy project" for funding.

The project again missed out on funding in May's state budget despite intense lobbying from the council.

"The $1 million in funding allocated to the project from council's budgets in 2021-22 and 2022-23 remains committed to the project and other budget contributions are being explored to support infrastructure funding applications," he said.

The spokesman said council officers were working on federal grant applications to further fund the project.

He said because the community wanted the powerlines on Commercial Road put underground, rebuilding the footpath would have to wait until adequate funding could be found to do both the powerline works and the footpath.

The two-week feedback period for the council's draft budget closed on Tuesday.

Mayor Karen Foster thanked everyone who made a submission.

"Each submission will be considered this week ahead of councillors being asked to adopt the budget at the next council meeting on June 27," Cr Foster said.

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