By Callum Ludwig
Despite the current caretaker period as votes for Council elections continue to be counted, Yarra Ranges councillors convened on Tuesday 22 October to endorse the 2023/24 Annual Report, Financial Report and Performance Statement.
Now released, the reports and performance statement outline the ‘operational and financial performance’ of Yarra Ranges Council as well as how well their performance has aligned with the 2021-2025 Council Plan.
Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Sophie Todorov said iin the last 12 months, this council group, which she was very proud to be associated with, has achieved great outcomes for the communities of the Yarra Ranges.
“I also wanted to especially acknowledge our community members, the last 12 months have really placed emphasis, focus and value on the community voice and all those diverse voices that we appreciate hearing and their input into all our strategies and plans and their contributions are critical to this success,” she said.
“We’re also focused on deliberative engagement and form part of those discussions that were held over a period of weeks as well where communities spent their time and partook in various workshops around the most important elements of our Council Plan,”
“We know that there’s a lot more to do but I can say that we should all be proud of the work that we have done and achieved over the last 12 months together.”
Major achievements listed in the report, and also acknowledged by Cr Todorov, included:
337 Capital Works projects carried out with a value of $71.9 million
Completed over 90 per cent of planned asset investments this year, including upgrades to play spaces, pavilions, drains, roads, and more than half of their 78 public toilets, managing over $1.5 billion worth of existing assets.
Rehomed 157 animals
Responded to 124,277 calls to customer service
Reconstructed over 25,500 square metres of sealed roads.
Adopted a Housing Strategy, Active Recreation Plan, Nature Plan, Tree Canopy Strategy and an Aquatics and Leisure Strategy.
Supported 17 arts and heritage project grants with a value of over $160,000, 35 community development grants valued at over $241,000. and 14 festivals and event grants for over $97,000 under the Grants for Community Program.
Progressed the Wandin North Town Centre Master Plan, the Kilsyth Recreation Reserve Master Plan, the Warburton Urban Design Framework and the Monbulk Urban Design Framework.
From a financial perspective, Yarra Ranges Council’s expected outcomes took a hit but remained in an operating surplus, with increased expenses to blame for the tighter financial position.
At the end of the last financial year, Council’s total revenue was up $7.4 million from their budget prediction but expenses were up $19.6 million, resulting in a comprehensive result of $7.9 million against the adopted budget of $20.1 million (60 per cent lower).
This has been attributed to operating grants being received in July that were budgeted for June, materials and services coming in $6.8 million over budget due to various factors, a net loss of $7.7 million on works in progress that could not be capitalised and the e removal of capital grants from the comprehensive result.
Cr Todorov said at face value, the report would make it sound like the Council is financially robust, but she thinks financially sound is probably better.
“Certainly in a context of ever-increasing costs, again the focus on efficiency, effectiveness and increasingly on other sources of revenue is a critical piece for every local government and it certainly has been for us,” she said.
“The other piece that I think is really important is the process of checks and balances, the scrutiny and the thoroughness to ensure the accuracy and hopefully the accessibility, in terms of community or anyone who picks up these documents being able to understand them.”
The annual report can be viewed in full at: yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Council/Corporate-documents/Policies-strategies/Annual-report.
