ADDITIONAL funding for footpaths and street trees will have to wait at least three months until the quarterly review, after council staff chose to keep the coming financial year’s budget largely unchanged.
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Councillors passed the 2016-17 budget on Tuesday night, with two councillors raising concerns about the need for footpaths along the Escort Way and Bletchington Street.
Councillor Reg Kidd asked for the $150,000 rehabilitation budget to be expanded to $1.5 million, however staff noted some subdivisions were developed when the policy was to keep grassed verges rather than footpaths.
Staff also said with the active travel plan in development, requests for footpaths not listed in the budget should be directed towards the plan, $234,000 would be put into maintenance and $1 million of the $4.5 million CBD refurbishment budget would be directed towards footpaths.
Councillor Neil Jones said in the meeting a budget of $500,000 a year across three years might be more appropriate.
“It would help address a very serious situation. I’m really disappointed to see the rejection of the $2500 for the CultureHub. It brings great diversity to the community and $2500 in a $175 million budget, it seems extraordinary we can’t support that excellent work,” he said.
However, mayor John Davis asked where the money would come from out of other areas of the budget.
“You could think of a footpath, I could think of one and we’d have 12 suggestions,” he said.
Councillors Jones and Kidd also raised concerns with the street trees and parks and gardens budget.
Staff responded 100-200 trees were replaced every year, with 300 new trees planted, the budget was tight and additional expenditure must be identified elsewhere.
“It’s okay to say we’re putting in 100 trees a year, but we’re also losing them in key areas. There’s trees in Summer Street that haven’t been replaced and out near Bunnings. A lot of people go to Cook Park and check out the Blowes Conservatory, but the building needs a lot of work - we are a garden city and we promote ourselves as the garden city,” he said.
With few submissions typically lodged on the budget each year, 293 people visited the YourSay page this year and 10 submissions were made.
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au