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Stonnington Council Watch

𝐖𝐄’𝐕𝐄 π€ππ€π‹π˜π’π„πƒ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 π‚πˆπ“π˜ πŽπ… πŒπ„π‹ππŽπ”π‘ππ„ 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓 – 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 ?

Dean
Posted 2 days ago
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𝐖𝐄’𝐕𝐄 π€ππ€π‹π˜π’π„πƒ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 π‚πˆπ“π˜ πŽπ… πŒπ„π‹ππŽπ”π‘ππ„ 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓 – 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 π˜πŽπ”π‘ πŒπŽππ„π˜ π‘π„π€π‹π‹π˜ π†πŽπ„π’

Dean Hurlston

Apr 2
2 min read

Council Watch has gone line-by-line through the Draft Budget… not the glossy summary, but the actual numbers.

And what we found should make every ratepayer stop and think.

THEY ARE SPENDING MORE ON COMPUTERS AND IT THAN THEY ARE ON ROADS.

Yes. Seriously.

FIRST – THE OPERATING MONEY PIT

Before a single road is fixed or project delivered, this is where your money disappears:

  • Materials and services: $252.720M
  • Employee costs: $234.131M
  • Depreciation: $78.534M

That’s HALF A BILLION DOLLARS gone before we even talk about outcomes.

Now Let’s Talk About Staff Costs

While ratepayers are capped at around 2.75% increases, Council is ramping up staff costs at more than double that rate.

Staff expenses jump 6.4% in a single year - and nearly 15% across the forward estimates. That's a major concern!

Let’s Be Clear

  • Your rates are capped
  • Their staffing costs are not

More staff. Higher wages. Bigger bureaucracy.

Where is the matching improvement in services?

NOW – THE $175M CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAM

Here’s where the rest is going (as a % of total):

  • Parks, open space and streetscapes: $59.542M (34.0%)
  • Building improvements: $46.435M (26.5%)
  • Footpaths and cycleways: $13.780M (7.9%)
  • Plant and equipment: $9.854M (5.6%)
  • Other structures: $9.785M (5.6%)
  • Computers and telecommunications: $9.329M (5.3%)
  • Roads: $8.764M (5.0%)
  • Buildings: $8.300M (4.7%)
  • Drainage: $4.740M (2.7%)
  • Fixtures, fittings and furniture: $1.660M (0.9%)
  • Library books: $1.500M (0.9%)
  • Bridges: $1.209M (0.7%)

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Let That Sink In

  • COMPUTERS: $9.3M (5.3%)
  • ROADS: $8.7M (5.0%)

The basics vs the buzzwords

  • ROADS: $8.7M (5.0%)
  • DRAINAGE: $4.7M (2.7%)
  • BRIDGES: $1.2M (0.7%)

That’s less than 9% combined for core infrastructure.

Meanwhile nearly 60% goes to:

  • Streetscapes
  • Parks
  • Building upgrades

THE REALITY

This Is a Budget Built For Appearances

More money for how the city LOOKS

Less money for how the city WORKS

And Behind It All

  • A rapidly growing workforce
  • Costs rising faster than ratepayers are allowed to pay
  • A bureaucracy expanding well beyond inflation

This isn’t β€œback to basics.”

This is priorities upside down.

#CouncilWatch #Melbourne #BudgetBlowout #FollowTheMoney

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Guest

May 01

The article raises significant issues regarding budget allocation priorities. Spending MORE on computers and IT while neglecting core infrastructure shows a troubling trend. Neospin https://www.everydayentrepreneur365.com.au/post/from-athlete-to-entrepreneur-sidestepping-into-entrepreneurship-from-the-sports-field highlights an unhealthy financial environment where bureaucracy expands without corresponding service improvement. It's crucial for ratepayers to scrutinize these choices that ultimately affect community welfare. Balancing needs is essential.

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Guest

Apr 03

I recognize that the narrative is well-organized from start to finish. The reasoning does not outpace the data. The website offers additional contextual materials related to the subject. Systemic analysis is expanded via interactive internet platforms.

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Skills

Budget Analysis
Financial Management
Data Analysis
Public Policy
Government Relations
Project Management
Cost Control
Infrastructure Planning

Location

Dean, England, United Kingdom

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