By Tanya Faulkner
The Knox Council has confirmed its Annual Budget for 2023/24, with only minor changes expected for the municipality.
At the latest council meeting on 26 June, Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch along with Knox councillors have approved the adoption of the coming years’ budget.
At its ordinary meeting of 26 April, the council resolved to make available to the community its Proposed Budget 2023-24. The Proposed Budget 2023-24 was developed in line with the things the community told the council were most important to them, including parks and reserves, roads, recreation and leisure facilities, community facilities, and the environment and sustainability.
This years’ Budget will spend $115 million across a range of services to the community, and includes a $75 million capital works program of which $42.5 million will be directed towards maintaining and renewing community assets, and $33.2 to be invested into new assets.
It also includes a 3.5 per cent increase in overall rates and charges (excluding waste charges) which falls in line with the increase in rates permissible by the State Government, which follows the 2022-23 rate cap of 1.75 per cent versus inflation of over seven per cent.
Pensioners will also continue to see a $100 rebate in relation to rates and charges of those eligible.
The biggest change in this years’ budget comes through the upcoming waste collection program that launches next week, bringing with it some cost changes.
Council notes that three per cent of Knox’ rubbish has been identified as food or food scraps, which creates methane gas contributing to climate change.
“Currently, 43 per cent of Knox’s rubbish that goes to landfill is food and this creates methane gas, which contributes to climate change,” Cr Timmers-Leitch said.
“We can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emitted from landfill by composting food and garden waste to be used for enriching the soil at farms, parks and gardens.”
This Budget will allow for the weekly collection of the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin, with regular charges starting of $434.90 (including an 80L rubbish bin, 240L recycle bin and 240L food and garden bin) or $496.60 if residents have opted for a larger 120L rubbish bin.
Both of these options include two hard waste collections and a fortnightly green bundled waste service.
Knox residents can expect increases to waste charges, ranging from $3 to $37 for those who already have green waste bins, and between $103 to $137 for those who don’t.
