Harper Sercombe
Rates are on the rise in Whittlesea after council adopted its 2023-24 budget.
In a meeting on Tuesday, June 27, council passed the budget and its 3.5 per cent increase in rates.
As reported by Star Weekly, Whittlesea will have an operating budget of $294.85 million to go toward priority services for the community, including a capital works program of $77.83 million to provide essential infrastructure and improve roads and facilities around the Whittlesea area.
During the budget’s exhibition period from March 29 to April 25, 71 submissions were received from community members. Six submissions related to the Mernda Repair Cafe to which council responded with a $35,000 allocation to allow for the ongoing operations of the initiative.
The repair cafe is a part of the Mernda Community House and allows locals to bring broken goods to be fixed by a team of volunteers.
Mernda Community House co-ordinator Paras Christou said the community’s support has been amazing.
“The program is a lot about education as well as providing repairs, so the community understood that we need to collectively reduce what we send to landfill,” she said.
“It’s an incredibly successful service shown through the uptake and responses we have seen.”
Ms Christou was also thankful to the council for its ongoing support.
“The council has been so amazing and supportive of the program,” she said.
“It’s incredibly meaningful support, it means we will keep running.”
She said this money will allow for the ongoing support of their volunteers as well as the general maintenance of the cafe.
“It takes quite a lot of time to co-ordinate the program,” she said.
“It will let us continue purchasing spare parts and tools and to build awareness of our program and other repair cafes.”
