At their 29 June meeting, Councillors voted to endorse the 2021-22 to 2024-25 Budget, 10 Year Capital Expenditure Program and 2021-25 Revenue and Rating Plan, following community engagement over the last month.

The budget provides $4m for libraries, $2m for pools and aquatic facilities, $6.5m for services for older adults and people with a disability, $4m for Maternal and Child Health nursing and $6.7m for maintenance and renewal of existing public buildings.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Fiona McAllister said the budget would provide funding for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing storm recovery.

“The focus on recovery is at the heart of this budget,” Cr McAllister said.

“I’d previously been quoted in the media saying we’d had a hell of a year – and the hell of a year got harder. The storms that took place on 9 June knocked us for a six. For many of us, we got off lightly, but parts of our municipality will take many years to recover.

“The cost of recovery is huge, and the budget we have developed has been very well thought-through. Having come off a hell of a year, we suddenly have a huge amount of recovery expense, recovery that we need to fund to support our communities, in the way that you have to be - and should be - supported.

“The $4 million we’ve set aside for COVID recovery suddenly seems insubstantial and the many millions we will need to fund storm recovery has become very front-of-mind.”

The draft budget includes $4 million specifically for COVID-19 pandemic recovery initiatives, including $1 million for Community Recovery Committees across the Yarra Ranges, where community members will be empowered to make decisions about recovery projects in their area.

Cr McAllister acknowledged that while the budget’s rate increase of 1.5 per cent across the municipality was not ideal, it would enable Council to continue funding essential community services and local recovery initiatives.

“For me, this is one of the most difficult decisions we make as a Council,” she said.

“It isn’t easy to increase rates, but we do it knowing that we will support our community to recover and rebuild, and we will use our budget wisely to do that.

“We will continue to focus on outcomes for the community in every dollar we spend.

“In this budget is mental health first aid training for community groups, it’s got business support measures and the community recovery, led by Community Recovery Committees, along with funding for roads, services and local infrastructure.”

“Finding ways to spend less community money and doing things better is something I truly believe in.”

Capital works highlights from this year’s draft budget include new footpaths and maintenance works across the region, drainage works in Upwey and Belgrave to prevent flooding, township improvement projects in Healesville, Belgrave and Lilydale and playspace renewals.

Community members were able to make submissions on the budget documents and speak to them at a public meeting on Tuesday, 15 June.

Submissions varied from comments about the rate increase, about advocating to reduce homelessness in the region, completing the Lilydale Structure Plan and specific local projects. Submissions can be read here.

Council's long-term Financial Plan will be released to the community for comment in coming months.

Anyone in the community needing assistance with paying their rates can contact Council on 1300 368 333 or visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/ratesrelie