WHITEHORSE RATEPAYERS & RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

                                        Comments on the Whitehorse Council Budget 2025/26

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We note that Whitehorse Council is raising rates by 3% in the proposed 2025/26 budget, which is the top rate of increase under the rate-capping regime.

 

We would like to bring to your attention that Bayside Council is increasing its rates by 0%, i.e. the rates are not increasing at all. This council has decided that it will concentrate on the nuts and bolts of council services I.e. on drainage, roads, footpaths etc. We note that this council did not abandon its aged care services, unlike Whitehorse Council, and has in fact amalgamated with Glen Eira Council to provide these services to both council areas.

 

We thus query why one council is able to not raise its rates at all, and the other council is raising its rates by the top rate capping percentage. Bayside Council is also affected by the Suburban Rail Loop and also has been nominated for a number of activity centres, so this council will also need to provide for advocacy in these areas.

 

We query the benefit of the $1.07 million dollars being spent on Positive Aging. We query what this program is actually achieving as we understand that residents have raised a number of issues with this program and that it does not appear to be doing anything particularly worthwhile.

 

We also highlight the monies being spent on the Transition Program which has had many millions spent on it and wonder what cost benefit this program has achieved.

 

Monies were spent in the past to achieve increased technological benefits but the council webpage has had much work done to it in the past and should by now be extremely user friendly, so how much more money needs to be spent on technological improvements, given the monies already spent?

 

We query the allocation of monies in the budget as to priorities, given that there are areas which may require flood mitigation and the monies spent on nuts and bolt issues such as roads, drains and footpaths in the scheme of things do not appear to have achieved adequate priority.

 

In line with this is the amount of monies being spent on tree planting which is necessary to provide shade in Australia’s harsh environment and also provides an avenue for carbon emission reduction.

 

We feel that the Council has made some positive initiatives in relation to crime prevention and youth involvement, which given the increase in crime in Whitehorse is positive as well as helping with youth engagement and issues.