Have your say on funding priorities, projects and operations in draft budget

24 April 2018

Wagga Wagga City Council last night resolved to place a total budget for 2018/19 of $218.1M on public exhibition.

The draft combined Delivery Program and Operational Plan (DPOP) 2018/19, along with the draft Long Term Financial Plan 2018-2028 and draft Fees and Charges are on public exhibition from today.

The 2018/19 budget features approximately $128.5M in operating expenditure and $89.6M in capital expenditure commitments. Council are also planning $2.1M in contributions, grants and donations to be provided by the Council to the community.

Major projects in the DPOP include the completion of the Levee Bank Upgrade project, Multi-Purpose Stadium at Equex, start of the Active Travel Plan corridors and the Eunony Bridge Upgrade.

Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Greg Conkey, OAM, said now is the community’s chance to have their say on what their Council is delivering.

“This is a significant budget and now is the time for our community to have a look at these documents, ask questions and have a say on how their rates are being spent,” he said.

“I’ve said it before, but there has not been a more exciting time to be a resident in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area.

“Our city is booming with more than $90M of infrastructure projects underway and more funding announcements are expected over the next 12 months, especially with the funds from the sale of the Snowy Hydro expected to flow for rural and regional NSW.”

The Integrated Planning and Reporting suite of documents will be on public exhibition until Wednesday 23 May.

Community members can view the draft plans and give their feedback on funding priorities, projects and operations online at www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/waggaview

Integrated Planning and Reporting suite of documents

Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) is the planning and reporting framework Wagga Wagga City Council uses to work towards achieving the community’s vision.

Under NSW Government legislation, councils must prepare a number of plans that provide details on how a council intends to deliver works and services in the short and long term.

This is based on the community’s priorities, which have been identified through consultation and engagement, as well as the resources available to council in delivering these items.

The framework ensures councils illustrate their various plans together, to understand how they interact in planning for the future.

Delivery Program and Operational Plan

The Delivery Program is a statement of commitment to the community from each newly elected council and sets out a four-year plan to respond to the community’s long-term vision as stated in Wagga View, Community Strategic Plan 2040.

The Operational Plan is a sub-plan of the Delivery Program and sets out the projects, programs and activities to be undertaken in a 12-month period. The Operational Plan includes a financial snapshot.

Long Term Financial Plan

The Long Term Financial Plan is a 10-year financial planning document with an emphasis on long-term financial sustainability.

The plan is formulated by using a number of estimates and assumptions to project the future revenue and expenditure required of the City of Wagga Wagga to deliver those services and projects expected by the community.

The draft budget for 2018/19 is balanced with the financial years 2019/20 to 2024/25 showing projected deficits. These projected positions highlight the significant issues that Council has been facing due to the unfavourable adjustments to revenue sources (Financial Assistance Grants and Rate Pegging restrictions) in previous financial years, and while 2025/26 to 2027/28 currently show projected surplus positions, these will be refined over the coming years.

Contact Kate Roberts 6926 9133 / 0409 079 663 or media@wagga.nsw.gov.au