By Jessica Anstice
Despite the Covid-19 deficit, the 2020-21 Cardinia Shire Council budget seeks to maintain and improve local services and infrastructure as well as deliver major projects across the region to help keep locals in work and the economy afloat.
The council has aimed to strike a balance between maintaining essential services and providing relief throughout the pandemic.
“We value and support our employees, and have committed to doing everything possible to ensure our staff are able to work throughout the coronavirus pandemic and provide our community with the ongoing support it needs at this time,” Cardinia Shire Council CEO Carol Jeffs said.
“From the outset of the pandemic, we’ve been conscious of the increased and varied pressures on family and personal life, both for our staff and our community members.
“Supporting our staff with continued employment and helping them to navigate these pressures is all part of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our employees; a responsibility we take very seriously. This has also meant supporting our community.”
Ms Jeffs said that by enabling council staff to keep working, the organisation has been able to focus on delivering all of its services to the community – appropriately modified to meet the requirements of safety.
An example of the council continuing to deliver its much-needed services and keeping residents in work are the local school crossing supervisors.
The crossing supervisors have all continued to provide their usual services with some extra precautions in place through the crisis.
“Despite the significantly lower number of students attending schools, we wanted to ensure that all children who were attending were able to do so safely,” she said.
“We are incredibly proud of the staff we have here at Cardinia Shire Council and the continued dedication they’ve shown to serving our community, particularly under these strange and often rapidly changing conditions.
“Many of our teams have moved to online services including planning, youth services and maternal and child health nursing. In the coming weeks we hope to be able to keep these online services but also provide a face to face service as well.”
A $1.6 million coronavirus support package has also been added in the council’s annual financial document to support those who need it most.
The package is designed to assist community members, support groups and businesses to cope with the financial impacts the pandemic brings.
It includes a $50 general rate rebate to residents who hold a valid concession card, as well as a $130,000 commitment to local agencies and groups providing relief services.
Through the pandemic the council has continued and will continue with its capital works budget.
“Whilst we’re operating in a cash restrictive environment it’s important council continues with the capital works budget because not only does it create local jobs, it also provides critical infrastructure which will serve our community for years to come,” Cr Michael Schilling said.
“As we know, keeping people healthy and connected is so important for the well-being of our community. I would argue that this is the most significant budget that as a council team we have ever worked on.
“It has to be adapted to a rapidly changing world where we had the huge responsibility of developing a budget that is compassionate, financially responsible, whilst at the same time will ensure jobs are created, and I believe the budget achieves just that.”
Cr Brett Owen also backed the budget as he supports the capital works that “need to occur” within and for the community.
“It has been a tough time but these things that we’re delivering for our community will help rebuild our community in relation to providing that support to our residents,” Cr Owen said.
“Playgrounds and disability upgrades and so forth – we need to keep doing this sort of work and provide those jobs for local residents. I support this budget during these difficult times.”
The council has and continues to follow advice from the State Government’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Chief Medical Officer to ensure it can continue to deliver services wherever possible.
