Shire of Augusta-Margaret River budget expands

This year’s Shire of Augusta-Margaret River budget aims to balance financial viability with delivery of community projects and services, despite the challenge of more than $3 million in extra staffing costs. New chief executive Andrea Selvey told the Times while the workforce budget was up 15.4 per cent, employee growth itself was up 3.5 per cent on 2023-24’s levels. The total shire workforce was now at 207 full-time equivalents, but that increase alone did not show the whole picture, Ms Selvey said. “Our population has grown by 26 per cent in the past eight years, and by employing more staff we’re able to deliver not only the essential services our community needs, but the services that make our shire a great place to live,” she said. Ms Selvey said staffing would increase at the Margaret River Heart as well as the recreation centre, and two new natural area officers were vital to “active management” of reserves under the local government’s control. As reported by the Times last week, a pay rise and a mandatory 0.5 per cent increase in superannuation costs, as well as greater demands for services by residents and visitors underscored the overall staffing increase. The budget papers also noted workshops had led to “reprioritisation and deferral of some projects and activities to ensure available funding sources has resulted in a balanced budget”. The shire expects an extra $3.826m in costs to do business, up 7.8 per cent on last year to a total operating expense of almost $53m. While the shire is not receiving the same level of external grants as previous years, with 2024-25 expected to be down 28 per cent, operating income is still projected at more than $400,000 above last year. Income of $29m to be derived from ratepayers is up nearly $2m, bolstered by growth in rateable properties of 3.27 per cent, equal to 344 new homes. Financially struggling ratepayers will for the first time this year have certain fees waived for instalment payments. Ratepayers will also face a 5.1 per cent increase in the Emergency Services Levy, as well as many paying an annual $170 fee for bulking up the Shire’s waste facility maintenance reserves, plus a consumer price index increase for bin collections. “This charge is used to maintain the Davis Road Waste Maintenance Facility over the financial year, with any excess in charges collection budgeted for transfer to the waste management reserve to fund future works required to the facility,” the budget papers said. About $19 million will be poured into community projects and assets, with $800,000 in funding for community and environment groups in the mix too.