July 8th, 2024Hepburn seeks community help to find financial way forward

The Hepburn Shire Council has launched a ‘financial vision’ survey and information as it invites public submissions to help develop a financial way forward.  

The Victorian Local Government sector is facing severe financial challenges due to increased costs of service delivery and construction, a limited range of revenue options and recovery from costly natural disasters.

Hepburn Shire, and others, have been adversely impacted by rising inflation affecting the delivery of services and infrastructure, cost shifting from other levels of government, and extraordinary costs associated with climate change beginning to impact.

In a public statement, the council said that “Multiple years of state government-prescribed rate cap adjustments below inflation has also had a negative impact on its financial sustainability, and as a rural council, Hepburn has limited opportunities for alternate income streams”. 

The council says it’s committed to transparency and accountability surroundings its financial strategy and the service deliver.

In its newly adopted 2024/25 budget the council has committed to making $1.5 million in operating savings and is now committing to working with community in an effort to ensure its long-term financial viability. 

In 2025/26 and beyond, the council needs to find an additional $4 million in long-term savings or additional revenue to ensure it develops a financially responsible plan to deliver on its shared Community Vision. 

The council now wants to hear from ratepayers, community members and visitors on their priorities regarding service delivery, community infrastructure renewal or upgrades, and the potential for a rate increase.

The survey can be completed via the council’s Participate Hepburn webpage.  

“We want to build our financial roadmap together, and we invite the community to attend one of our drop-in sessions across the shire or to have their say on the Participate Hepburn page of the website,” mayor Cr Brian Hood said.

“We can either increase rates or change the delivery of, or even cut, some of our services or undertake a combination of both options.

“We want to gauge community sentiments and ideas on reshaping the budget, and on the management of our buildings and infrastructure.’” 

The Participate Hepburn page will be open for comment between 1-17 July, with a long- term financial plan to be presented to the council for adoption in September.