Media Release
Wednesday 10 May 2017
Road maintenance and safety program drives the budget
Roads and community groups are the big beneficiaries with the release of the 2017-2018 budget at Council’s monthly meeting yesterday.
Residential rates will increase by five percent but with the expiry of the Waste Management Special Levy this financial year, households will notice a decrease in their overall rates.
Council’s road program, a high priority in the 2017-2018 budget, will see 213kms of roads resealed at a cost of $2.65 million and a further $3 million spent on road maintenance, re-sheeting unsealed roads and road safety.
Litchfield Council Mayor Maree Bredhauer said the 2017-2018 budget is about Council supporting the community and the implementation of strategic plans developed over the past 12 months.
“Council understands the financial pressures that residents can face and acknowledges that rates need to be kept to a minimum whilst still enabling Council to continue with its core services” the Mayor said.
Approximately $102,000 will go towards community grants and donations including the recently launched Community Grants Scheme turning trash from the transfer stations into cash for the community.
Thorak Regional Cemetery continues to make a loss each year putting financial pressure on Council. The Cemetery is a regional service that Council operates for the benefit of all users not just the 11% of Litchfield users. Council will continue working with the Northern Territory Government to explore options of making the Cemetery more viable for Council.
As well as Council’s identified priority areas and focus on the 2017-2018 budget, Council will continue to advocate in several areas including; a solution to the identified gap in aquatic facilities, improved early years services to support our young residents to succeed and implementing Council’s new Dog Management By-laws.
ENDS