Update - 23 June 2021 - Budget adopted

Council endorsed its 2021-2022 Budget. The Budget was adopted by the Council alongside Our Community Plan 2021-25, which sets strategic priorities for the next four years.

Together, the documents provide strategic direction and identify how community-focused projects will be funded during this Council term. you can read a copy of the adopted budget here.

Update – 25 May 2021 - This engagement is closed.

This engagement is now closed for evaluation and review.Thank you to everyone who provide feedback, it is valued and appreciated. Over 110 submissions about Our Community Plan and/or the draft Annual Budget were received from the Greater Geelong community.

A submission review panel hearing will take place on 2 June 2021 to hear any submissions community wish to speak to, and the final Our Community Plan and Annual Budget are to be presented to Council for adoption at its 22 June Council Meeting.

Background

On Tuesday 27 April 2021, Council endorsed the release of the draft Our Community Plan 2021-25 and Proposed Budget 2021-22 for public feedback.

Our Community Plan 2021-25 brings together, for the first time, the Council Plan and the Municipal Health & Wellbeing Plan. We have combined these two important documents because the health and wellbeing of our community is central to everything we do.

Our Community Plan 2021-25 identifies four strategic directions that Council will focus its efforts on over the next four years, always moving towards the community's clever and creative 30-year vision:

• Healthy, caring and inclusive community;
• Sustainable growth and environment;
• Strong local economy; and
• High performing council and organisation.

Council has allocated major investment and funding in the Proposed Budget 2021-22, in line with the strategic directions identified in Our Community Plan 2021-25.

The Proposed Budget balances fiscal responsibility with policies and funding to support those hit hard by COVID-19, and investment to meet population growth demands across the region.

A historically low rate rise and massive investment in public infrastructure are at the centre of the City's Proposed Budget. It outlines the region's largest ever capital works program over the next two years.

The Proposed Budget caps the total rate rise at 1.5 per cent, in line with the State Government rate cap, freezes many fees and charges at pre-pandemic levels and maintains an extensive array of funding opportunities through the Community Grants program, including a larger environmental grants stream.

We encourage you to review the draft documents (which can be found in the document library on the right-hand side of this page) and share your feedback either by the online submission form below, in-person at a Listening Post, or in writing.

LISTENING POSTS

In addition to the submission form below, you are invited to share your feedback with Councillors in person at a number of pop-up Have Your Say listening posts to be held around Geelong.

Kardinia - Highton and Armstrong Creek

Saturday 8 May

• Belle Vue Ave, Highton Village – outside Bendigo Bank, 9.30am-10.30am
• The Village Warralily shopping centre, Armstrong Creek – inside centre, outside Woolworths 11am-12pm

Windermere - Corio and Lara

Saturday 15 May

• Lara Centreway, 10am-11am

Wednesday 26 May

• Corio Village Customer Service Centre, 2.30pm-3.30pm

Bellarine - Ocean Grove, Portarlington and Drysdale

Saturday 15 May

• The Terrace, Ocean Grove – outside Coles, 9.00am-10.00am
• Newcombe Street, Portarlington – outside newsagent, 10.30am-11.30am
• High Street, Drysdale - outside Drysdale Uniting Church, 12pm-1pm

Brownbill - Geelong West and Newcombe

Saturday 22 May

• Pakington Street – on grassed area outside Town Hall, 10am-11am
• Newcombe Central Shopping Centre, front entrance, 11.30am-12.30pm

SUBMISSIONS

Submissions on the Our Community Plan 2021–25 or Proposed 2021-22 Budget were to be submitted online below or in writing by 5pm Tuesday 25 May 2021 and addressed to:

Director Customer & Corporate Services

The City of Greater Geelong

PO Box 104

Geelong Vic 3220

To ensure your submission is valid please include your name, postal address, a contact phone number, email address (if you have one) and details of your submission.

Submissions to this survey are now closed.

Council’s Submissions Panel will meet on 2 June 2021 to consider all submissions.

The personal information requested on this page is being collected by City of Greater Geelong for the purpose of the draft Proposed Budget 2021-2022 and the draft Our Community Plan 2021-2025 or any other directly related purpose. If the personal information is not collected, we may not be able to contact you for further questions or solutions. Your personal information will only be disclosed as required to do so by law. Our privacy policy is available on our website. If you wish to alter any of the personal information you have supplied to City of Greater Geelong, please contact us by sending an email to privacy@geelongcity.vic.gov.au.