Balancing the books is becoming increasingly challenging for Council in the face of increased costs of service delivery, infrastructure development, and our limited range of revenue options.

Just as residents are dealing with increased cost of living expenses, Council finances have also been impacted compounded by multiple years of State Government rate caps. We also have limited alternative income opportunities beyond rates.

Council looks after a large asset portfolio consisting of 54,000 physical items. All come with responsibilities and financial burdens for current and future generations. But there are also challenges in making decisions where Council needs to balance asset performance against costs and between a growing population demanding more and better with existing assets also requiring upgrading and upkeep.

As we continue this important conversation we are wanting to understand:

• Are there any services or programs you might be willing to adjust, let go of, or re-prioritise?
• Have we got the balance right between the cost and quality of our assets and programs with the changing needs of the community?
• What level of investment you might be prepared to accept for Council-managed assets (roads, footpaths, libraries, community centres, and other community facilities) to support the ongoing needs of a growing population?

Creating a new Council Plan, confirming the Community Vision and reviewing the Asset and Financial plans is the most significant opportunity available for residents to influence the work Council does over the next four years. To help ensure these documents reflect the needs of our community, we are keen to hear from as many members in our community as possible.

Feedback from our November/December conversations is now closed. Feedback from these conversations, as well as those from mid-2024, will inform the development of new draft plans which we will share with you for further comment early in 2025.

More than 500 contributions helped inform the current Community Vision which sits in the Community Plan - Maribyrnong 2040, endorsed in 2018.

In July we asked if you thought it was still relevant. Most who responded said it was okay, but could do with some work. We'll be further unpacking what this would look like with the community in November.

You can download a copy in the document library.

The Council Plan guides what we do and how we do it over a four-year period.

The most recent Council Plan was adopted in June 2021 and outlines Council's vision for "creating an inclusive, flourishing, progressive city that cares for both its residents and its environment".

It establishes the strategic objectives for the next four years including actions to achieve them.

The Council Plan 2021/25 also incorporates the Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan which focuses on improving the physical, social, natural, cultural, and economic environments that impact community health.

It is reviewed annually to consider emerging community needs.

A new Council Plan is developed every four years following the election of a new Council.

You can download a copy in the document library.

Council looks after a large asset portfolio with a total estimated replacement value in excess of $1 billion dollars.

This Plan guides the efficient and effective management of these assets, such as buildings, roads, and drainage systems, through to footpaths, bike paths and parks and ovals, over a 10-year period.

It is designed to ensure these assets are managed in a way that ensures they are fit for purpose for the community – now and for future generations – while also providing best value outcomes throughout their lifecycle in terms of cost, taking into account things like population growth, demographic changes, ageing infrastructure and technology advances.

The Asset Plan 2022-2032 focuses on four asset classes:

• Open Space - parks, public open spaces and streetscapes, along with recreational, leisure, and community facilities.
• Drainage - underground pipes and drainage pits that manage stormwater flow.
• Transport - public roads, footpaths, kerbs, carparks, and bridges.
• Buildings - ranging from sporting and community facilities through to recreational facilities and public toilets.

You can download a copy in the document library.

As part of our review, Council will be undertaking a benchmarking exercise to rank the current state of our assets against the 2024 National State of the Assets Report to better quantify what is known as our 'renewal gap' - this is the funding we will need to set aside each year just to maintain our assets as they are today, before considering any improvements or new builds.

Balancing the books is becoming increasingly challenging for Council in the face of increased costs of service delivery and infrastructure development and limited range of revenue options.

Just as residents are dealing with increasing cost of living expenses, Council finances have also been impacted.

Multiple years of State Government rate caps have further impacted our financial position. And as a landlocked Council, we have limited alternative income opportunities beyond rates.

The Long-Term Financial Plan (Financial Plan) considers both the current financial situation and future projections to support delivery of projects, initiatives, and programs our community thinks are most important for our City over the next 10 years.

You can download a copy in the document library.

February to May 2024:

We first wanted to understand how you would like to be involved in this project and asked you to complete a short online questionnaire or chat with a new two-way communication tool, Hello Lamp Post, launched in April, on a trial basis.

You told us your preference is online, but you'd still like the opportunity to talk in person or provide hard-copy feedback. You'll find a summary of initial feedback in the document library.

July to September 2024:

We asked if you thought the Vision remained relevant and for your thoughts around the strategic direction Council should consider in the next Council Plan.

• Most who responded said the Community Vision was good, but they would like to see more reflection around embracing our history and differences, and a greater focus on our diverse and sustainable community.
• There was some support for the current strategic objectives but also a desire to see a greater focus on the environment and sustainability.

We also sought initial feedback to help our review of the Asset and Financial Plans.

• There was a mixture of responses in terms of how we should manage our community assets.
• The top five priorities were:
  • Roads and drainage maintenance
  • Open space, city design, and strategic planning
  • Sustainability and the environment
  • Leisure, health and wellbeing
  • Library Services.

You can read more in the Engagement Summary Infographic located in the document library.