Mayor Budget Speech 2021

The investments being made in this budget will ensure we can be well prepared for the upcoming fire
season to ensure we manage our risks, and our community is safe as it can be. Like our budget, it’s
bold, its brave and it’s all about the community.

This year, like last, we have put a focus on delivering tangible outcomes for our community. Providing
“grassroots” style projects that will make a difference to the lives of our residents. Considering the
challenges, we have faced, I am incredibly proud to be delivering, alongside my other councillors, a
budget of this calibre which is another investment in enhancing our lifestyle and providing a bright future.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Deputy Mayor and my fellow Councillors for
their deliberations and sensible approach to formulating this budget. I believe it’s a good one, a great
one and we have all worked together to achieve it.

I also want to thank the Council management team for their detailed work in preparing this difficult
budget especially the CEO Brett de Chastel and our hardworking finance team led by Trent Grauf and
overseen by our Director of Corporate Services, Michael Shave.

They have carefully analysed every detail and our finance staff have provided sage advice to all of us.
Their hard work to get us where we are today has not gone unnoticed. It is appreciated and it is
acknowledged, and we are very grateful.

It should be noted that we are now officially back in SURPLUS. We have modest operating surplus of
$309k a year earlier than expected as part of our 4-year recovery plan and I would again like to
acknowledge Michael, Trent and all the team for achieving this remarkable result.

I used it last year, but I’ll use it again:

Finally, to quote a great Humanitarian and former President:

‘A budget is more than just a series of numbers on a page; it is an embodiment of our values’. Barack
Obama.

To our community it is you who we value, and it is with you in mind that this budget was crafted.
Grassroots spending. Spending where we need, where we can, where we must, to ensure the greatest
benefit to you, our community. Thank you.