HINDMARSH Shire council’s 2016-17 budget will have a large focus on tourism.
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Council released its draft budget earlier this month.
Mayor Debra Nelson said the document proposed some good initiatives, aimed at drawing more visitors to the region.
The budge includes about $70,000 for stage two of the Dimboola Riverside Holiday Park redevelopment.
The works include six new cabins, canoe and bike hire hire equipment, and the relocation of a large portable building that will become a recreation room.
The building was previously part of council’s Nhill office.
“These projects will really add to overall tourism experience in Dimboola,” Cr Nelson said.
“This is what we have to work on – selling ourselves to people.
“The budget also includes money to create a master plan for the Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum at Jeparit, that will provide a template for the museum for the next 10 years.”
The draft budget includes a cash deficit of $532,000.
Council plans to increase municipal rates by 2.5 per cent, in line with rate capping.
Cr Nelson said moving forward, council would struggle financially because of rate capping and cuts to the country roads and bridges funding program.
“Unless we get that money back or its replaced with another program, our infrastructure gap is going to get bigger and biggest each year,” she said. “With the amount of maintenance work we do, we are going to end up with a huge deficit.
“We can’t borrow money for just ordinary maintenance work, so in the future we will have no choice but to cut services.”
Cr Nelson said the freeze on Financial Assistance Grants was also hurting council.
“We have 2900 kilometres of roads to maintain, it’s a huge challenge,” she said.
Cr Nelson said overall the draft budget was positive.
“It is as good as it can be, given the financial environmental,” she said.
The draft budget is now open for public submissions.
Council will adopt the final 2016-17 budget in June.