Proposed cuts to neighbourhood house funding and sports infrastructure, and a proposal for an international equine centre, were hot topics at Macedon Ranges council’s budget submissions hearing.
As well, decisive action on climate change was urged as about a dozen people took advantage of the opportunity to speak to their submissions last Wednesday night.
Co-ordinators from the municipality’s six neighbourhood houses formed a united front against the council’s proposal to slash their share of funding by up to 50 per cent.
Woodend Neighbourhood House president Glenda Fisher said the move would leave the organisations with little choice but to increase fees for classes and programs.
‘‘People will say we can’t afford that so we won’t come,’’ she said. ‘‘We don’t want that.’’
Ms Fisher said neighbourhood houses contributed significantly to the aims of the council’s health and wellbeing policies.
‘‘During last year’s fires, where would you have been without Lancefield Neighbourhood House?’’
Equine centre
Stud farmer Joe Vella urged the council to commit $25,000 to prepare a business case for a multi-purpose equine centre in the municipality’s south-east.
‘‘The business plan will tell us, and you, whether it’s a goer or not,’’ he said.
Other submitters said the equine industry should fund the project.
While praising “overdue” expenditure on solar panels and energy efficiency, Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group president Ralf Thesing called for consideration of an interest-free solar panel loan scheme and more spending on bike and pedestrian paths.
Rates increase
The draft budget calls for an average rate increase of 2.5 per cent in 2016-17, taking the average bill to $2069.
Acting chief executive Sophie Segafredo said neighbourhood houses were a state government-funded initiative.
‘‘Council has supported these programs over a number of years with in-kind support and financial contributions,’’ she said.
‘‘[Rate capping] has led council to review its commitment to programs that are the responsibility of other levels of government in order to meet its own obligations with reduced income.’’
Councillors will meet to adopt the budget on June 22.
