UPGRADES to Bunbury Airport, an animal care facility to replace the pound and trailer parking at the Stirling Street boat ramp are some of the highlights to come out of the 2014/15 City of Bunbury's $71.7 million budget.
The endorsed budget included a contentious new rating system, which will see an average residential rate increase of 4.3 per cent, non-residential by 10.7 per cent and expects to increase City revenue by nine per cent.
At a budget meeting on Thursday morning City of Bunbury Mayor told the media that council wanted to bring expenditure under control.
He said employee costs was one area being examined, costing the City over $23 million per year.
A $550,000 surplus is forecasted for the end of June next year, up from a "wafer thin" $40,000 recorded in December last year.
The budget breaks down to $25.3 million for capital works, $44.6 million for operating costs and $1.8 million for debt reduction.
An Electors Meeting will be held on August 12 fom 5.30pm to discuss the new rating system.
A motion to instate a 15 per cent initial maximum increase concessions by application will go before council on August 19.
More on the 2014/15 City of Bunbury budget in next's week Bunbury Mail.
- $4.2 million for a multi-purpose sports pavilion at Haypark
- $4 million to begin constructing Lottery Houses
- $3.5 million for road construction and upgrades
- $3 million for the maintenance of park land, foreshore reserves, playing fields and street trees
- $2.3 million for work on stormwater infrastructure
- $1.1 million for the design and construction of SES headquarters and incident control centre
- $823,000 for footpath construction and replacement
- $700,000 for the replacement of pool tiles at the South West Sports Centre.
- $623,000 for the Withers Action Plan
- $527,000 for upgrades to Bunbury Airport
- $585,000 for the replacement and maintenance of playground equipment
- $456,000 for the construction of an animal care facility replacing the existing pound
- $350,000 for event funding
- $348,000 for the upgrade and repair of the Koombana Beach toilet block
- $200,000 for the upgrade of the Stirling Street boat ramp to include trailer parking
