Can Council give a town spend from this budget?

    Council has a $150M budget, expenditure across town is not something that we measure as most of our expenditure is related to services which span all towns. In relation to capital the main projects that we are undertaking include the completion of Moe Rail Precinct Stage 2, Kernot Hall refurbishment, and flood recovery works relating to the facilities associated with Traralgon Recreation Reserve. Other works include the Gippsland Logistics Precinct, Regional Car Park fund and Street lighting upgrades to LED.

    With cost-of-living pressures increasing, is the Council going to increase funding to food bank organisations such as Heart Focus in Morwell?

    Council monitor demand for Council delivered health care services and engage with funders in respect of planning to meet these needs as part of funding agreements. 

    In addition, as part of planning for new growth areas, Council considers what social and community infrastructure is needed whether as part of a development process or larger strategic project such as "live work Latrobe" which included a city wide housing strategy.

    Is the Council collaborating with private investors to promote sustainable economic growth in the region and create more job opportunities for both new and existing residents?

    Yes, Council is collaborating with private investors with a main focus on new energy. There is a $41 billion off-shore wind industry in Gippsland that we want to ensure Latrobe gets a piece of and we are working with numerous private players in this industry. We will continue to work with the HESC consortium - Hydrogen and the potential supply chain opportunities in Latrobe.

    We have also recently entered into an MOU with Swinburne University to support the testing of Advanced Air Mobility aircraft at the Latrobe Regional Airport. This is driving interest from the private sector including Nova systems and Talus.

     

    With the Moe stage 2 development currently ongoing on George Street, Moe, what is the timeframe for the stage 3 development?

    Stage 3 will likely be funded externally or require a future loan by Council as per Stage 2 funding. A previous application was made to the Federal Government's Building Better Regions Fund however this program has been cancelled at this stage by the Federal Government, we will therefore continue to seek funding opportunities as they become available.

    Instead of staged projects such as Moe why not do it all in one go it took 10 years to get stage 2 going?

    It is often difficult to secure large amounts of funding upfront for projects such as Moe Rail Precinct. Therefore Council is forced to stage larger projects in order to capitalise on funding opportunities as they become available.

    Can traffic lights be installed at Grey Street for the high school and primary school students to cross the road safely given it’s a busy main road

    This is a Department of Transport Road - Council does not manage the road at this location. However Council has provided a school crossing for Grey Street Primary School recently as part of the Safe Travel in Local Streets Program which was delivered in conjunction with the Department of Transport and Planning.

    What is being built for special needs children in the area to increase their community activity and independence

    Our services and infrastructure such as playgrounds, GRAC and GPAC are designed to consider all our community. It is noted that the provision of special needs education facilities as an example is a State Government service area such as the redevelopment of the Latrobe Special Development School.

    Is there any update on the skate park that was proposed in Traralgon?

    In March 2021, Council resolved to do further investigation on potential locations for Traralgon Youth Activity Precinct which also includes a skatepark. As a result of the June 2021 flood event the focus of the Recreation and Open Space team has been the Traralgon Flood Recovery Project, amongst other important strategies and plans.

    Now, with the flood recovery project being partially funded and moving into detailed design phase, officers are returning to work on the Youth Precinct/Skatepark for Traralgon and aim to present a further report to Council towards the end of the financial year regarding the future actions to be undertaken.

    What are the main priorities for this year's budget?

    Our current service levels remain unchanged. We are also gearing up for the Commonwealth Games. Our capital works budget is $43 million, $22 million for renewal of roads, buildings and footpaths.

    The following key projects have also been included in the 2023/24 Draft Budget:

    • Moe Rail Revitalisation Project Stage 2 – Completion ($3.5 million)
    • Kernot Hall Refurbishment – Completion ($1.5 million)
    • Marshalls Road / Traralgon-Maffra Road Signalised Intersection ($4.9 million)
    • Stage One - Gippsland Logistics Precinct ($2.4 million)
    • Flood Recovery Projects:
    • Indoor Multi Sports Hall at Glenview Park ($2.9 million)
    • Multi Use Pavilion at Traralgon Recreation Reserve ($2.0 million)
    • New Energy Projects
    • Solar Installations ($1.2 million)
    • Street Light LED Upgrade ($1.1 million)
    • Regional Car Park Fund ($1.0 million)

    What is the Traralgon bypass status?

    We continue to advocate for the project to progress. It is a Regional Roads project with further information available at https://regionalroads.vic.gov.au/.../traralgon-bypass...

    How is Council managing the increased demand for public services such as health care, education, and public safety that comes with a growing population specially how Traralgon is developing and getting busier over the past year ?

    Council monitor demand for Council delivered health care services and engage with funders in respect of planning to meet these needs as part of funding agreements. As part of planning for new growth areas we also consider what social and community infrastructure is needed, as part of a development process or larger strategic project such as "live work Latrobe" which included a city wide housing strategy.