MESSAGE FROM THE SHIRE PRESIDENT

I believe it's fair to say that the Shire of Busselton has been experiencing one of the longest periods of high growth in it's history. Marry this with an economic environment of increasing land values and Council's rating decision becomes more complicated.

We need to assess what represents a fair and equitable payment from the community for the services provided, and of course consider the impact on future generations.

This situation has presented many challenges for Council, and with our sights firmly set on achieving a sustainable future for generations to come, this year's budget has been set with a determination to ensure a strong foundation for that future.

I congratulate the staff, councillors and the community for the efforts they have contributed during the planning and budget development process and look forward to seeing the outcomes unfold during the course of the coming year.

Kevin Douglas
Shire President

HEADLINES

• Your Rates
• Where will your rates be spent?
• Budget Initiatives
• Regional Economic Development Strategy
• Strategic Initiatives Fund
• Future Caravan Parks
• Support for Small Business
• Civic Precinct
• Learning Centre
• Land Use Strategies
• Works Program
• Leavers
• Mosquito Larviciding Program
• Busselton Jetty
• Other News

Planning for the Future-Refuse Site Development

The Council endorsed two significant capital items in the 2006/2007 budget including installation of a weight bridge and a new gatehouse for the Dunsborough Waste Facility. This will enable the Shire to achieve a good understanding of the volumes of material entering the waste facility, and will help to ensure charging for the disposal of waste is carried out fairly. Also, $100,000 has been allocated for the study into quantifying the extent of rehabilitation for the old Busselton tip site.

This financial year owners of vacant land, on a gross rental valuation (GRV) could see a 16% reduction in their rates, as a result of the introduction of a differential rating system. This is designed to address the vacant land valuations experienced within the revaluation during 2005/2006.

In addition, owners of properties rated on an unimproved valuation (UV) will see a reduction in the rate in the dollar to address the annual revaluation of rural properties, and a move to a more equitable rating ratio between the two distinct types of rating within the Shire.

The minimum payment set is $653 which represents a 9.01% increase on last year. Generally, residential industrial and commercial rate groups have increased by 12.21% on the 2005/2006 rate in the dollar (the new rate in the dollar is 9.6503 cents).

It is important to note that while rural land is re-valued by the Valuer General annually, residential, commercial and industrial property is only re-valued every four years (the next one is due in about 2008/2009).

The following is a snapshot of some of the initiatives contained within the Shire's 2006/2007 Budget. A full copy of the Budget is available on the Shire's website click here.

With the Shire's population expected to peak at 75,000 in future years employment (particularly for young people) will emerge as an increasingly important issue for the community to address.

The Shire of Busselton will be developing an Economic Development Strategy in partnership with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River this year to commence addressing this issue.

The strategy is designed to focus on business investment and development, businesses attraction and industry clustering. It is expected to result in sustainable long term employment opportunities within the Shire within the environmental and social values of the community.

In an effort to reduce reliance on rates as a source of revenue to fund major projects the Shire has allocated resources to investigate the development of parcels of land it owns across the Shire.

The investigation will be undertaken over the coming year and parcels will be referred to Council for consideration. Community consultation with local residents will form a key part of this investigation.

This is part of a strategy of managing the Shire's land holdings in a more strategic manner.

Recently some caravan parks in the Shire have been redeveloped into other tourism and accommodation developments.

The Shire of Busselton is keen to ensure that families can continue to holiday in caravan parks in the Shire well into the future and as such has allocated $80,000 to investigate the development of two new caravan parks.

This investigation will examine concepts, feasibility, management options, approvals and environmental impacts and report to Council on the viability of developing any new caravan parks in the Shire.

The development of new and support of existing small businesses are important to the local economy and therefore the Shire of Busselton has allocated $20,000 to the Small Business Centre Vasse for this coming year.

This money will be used to support the operations of the centre.

As the Shire continues to grow so does the number of Council employees required to meet the needs of the community.

Council has resolved to investigate the long term location of the Shire Administration facility to ensure that planning and resources allocated now are best spent for the long term benefit.

$40,000 has been allocated to investigate two sites, being the existing site in Southern Drive and the second is the land surrounding the current Busselton Library.

For this investigation an architect will be engaged who will assess the current building and site, project staff numbers and determine the size of the building that will be required for the next 20 years.

This information will then be assessed, as it applies to the two sites, and will look at issues such as parking and access, services, and assess the sites on criteria established by Council.

As part of this project a further $10,000 has been allocated to investigate the feasibly of incorporating community groups and government agencies into a future Shire Administration Building. This money will be used to consult with these groups, determine their spatial needs and assess their ability to financially contribute towards the facility. The information from this process may be used as a basis for an application to either the State or Federal Government for funding towards the complex.

The proposal for a new information and learning centre at Vasse has also been given a green light by Council.

$10,000 has been allocated in the 2006/2007 budget to allow for a consultant to work with stakeholders to develop a more concrete proposal to take to potential major financial contributors such as the Vasse developers, tertiary institutions, other government agencies and the general business community to allow for more meaningful discussions.

It is also hoped that the outcome of this work would produce a concept of what such a facility might look like and how it might accommodate the requirements of the various stakeholders which, in turn, would form the basis of a brief for an architect. The consultant selected to undertake this project will work with a Councillor Reference Group comprising of Councillors Clarke, Hanran-Smith and Triplett.

The Shire of Busselton has experienced one of the highest ongoing rates of population growth in regional Australia - almost 5% average annual growth since 1981. It is clear that the rate of demographic change and development in the Shire and the region will not diminish in the short term and that many of the Shire's policies and strategies will require review or replacement in order to remain valid and useful.

One of the Shire's roles is to formulate and review planning statute and policy to provide for more sustainable development outcomes and to reflect the Shire's Strategic Plan. This requires analysis of community needs and the formulation of strategy, policy and town planning scheme outcomes that guide land use and the form of development over strategic time frames (5-50 years). It requires a balance between retention of the character and lifestyle values of the Shire and management of the high rate of demographic change.

In terms of the budget, this is a significant initiative involving formulation of a 'Local Planning Strategy' (LPS) leading to a new Town Planning Scheme over a 3-5 year time frame.

The LPS will ultimately involve the formulation of a number of strategies and policy outcomes that will inform the Scheme review. As well as tourism and commerce, these will include strategies relating to settlement and housing, transport, environment and rural land use.

At each stage of the review the public and other stakeholders will be provided with the opportunity to contribute to the formulation of strategies and Scheme outcomes via an extensive community consultation process.

The community will see $3.83M worth of road upgrades this year, including the Intersections of Albert and Queen Street, Queen Street/Peel Terrace/Causeway Road and College Avenue/Queen Elizabeth Avenue, which have all received funding from State or Federal Black Spot programs.

Some of the larger road upgrade projects include Vasse Yallingup Road, Ambergate Road, Metricup Road, Canal Rocks Road, Gale Road and Yelverton North Road.

For the Walking enthusiasts an extra 3.4km of footpaths will be established and an amount of $50,000 has been allocated to continue the cycle path west of Siesta Park in the continuing campaign to complete the Busselton to Dunsborough link. A further $50,000 is being sought in Government Grants.

Improved drainage is also on the program with upgrades in Dorset Street, Kent Street, Marine Terrace and to catchment areas between Elmore Road and Dunn Bay Road, Dunsborough.

CBD parking is also being addressed with a study undertaken to increase efficiencies in both Busselton and Dunsborough and to identify options for future parking provision and funding.

Dates for Leavers 2006 celebrations in Dunsborough have been set for the period Nov 22 to Nov 28 this year, with a specific budget allocation of $41,500 approved to address operational costs incurred by the Shire (other than Ranger Services). A $20,000 grant has been approved by the Office of Crime Prevention to offset some of these costs. The Shire's Community Development Officer will co-ordinate partnerships with a number of State Government agencies and community groups associated with this occasion to maximise the benefits and minimise the impacts wherever possible.

The Shire will operate the mosquito larviciding program with the assistance of the State Department of Health. This arrangement requires the Shire to pay for 50% of the cost of the larvicide, with the remaining 50% and the cost of the helicopter being funded by the Department of Health. It is expected that the Shire's contribution for this initiative will amount to $20,000 should 4 treatments be required this year.

Further information in relation to this year's program can be viewed on the Shire's website at www.busselton.wa.gov.au or by contacting the Shire's Environmental Health Services on 9781 0444.

Council has allocated $300,000 this year to progress the proposed upgrading of the Busselton Jetty. These resources will be used to facilitate the upgrade of the Jetty when outcomes of other contributions are known from the State and Federal Government.

Port Geographe

The annual bypassing of sand and seagrass is currently being undertaken by the developer. Should you have any queries regarding this work, please contact the developer's representative, Steve O'Brien on (08) 9754-4409.

Waste Management

Council has recently endorsed its Shire Waste Strategy for public comment. The Strategy looks at all aspects of waste management in the Shire including minimisation, recycling, reuse and management. Once the public comment period has concluded a report will be put back to the Council, taking into account these comments, for final adoption.

Dunsborough Entry Artworks

On Thursday 6th July, the Dunsborough Entry Statement in the form of 6 wind activated vanes was installed in the two main roundabouts on Caves Rd. Artist Chris Williamson is well known for his main street banners throughout the SW and, with this sculptural piece, has introduced a new and exciting dimension to his work.

The project was initiated by the Shire of Busselton through a competition to find a concept and then developed with the community over a period of 18 months. Major community and business groups were involved with the process and a "Talk & Draw" night was held to encourage input to the designs. The Dunsborough community has long held the view that an appropriate entry statement was needed and the images presented on the vanes have been designed to reflect the unique identity of the town.

A community celebration is being planned for 16th September and promotional & interpretive materials are under development to build on the opportunities presented by this major public art project (see invitation on front page).

Expressions of Interest-Old Agricultural Building

The Shire of Busselton is inviting Expressions of Interest towards the commercial use of the old Agricultural Department building, which is situated on the main street between the Jetty beachfront and the CBD.

Constructed in 1931 and operating as the Agricultural Bank and then as office space for the Agricultural Department, the building still houses the old bank vault and features a simple classical style. The Busselton Shire Council purchased the building in January 2005 with the intention to secure the building as a focus for the development of the Cultural Precinct and to contribute a vibrant link between the CBD and the popular Jetty beachfront.

The use of the building as either a restaurant with regular cultural entertainment or an arts & crafts facility focused on local artisans presents an exciting opportunity to build a vibrant business which caters to the rapidly growing population of both locals and visitors.

The closing date for Expressions of Interest is September 26 and a copy of the documentation can be obtained from the Shire's Cultural Planning Officer on 9781 0429 or lornas@busselton.was.gov.au. The document can also be viewed and downloaded at www.busselton.wa.gov.au