Budget pushed back

PUBLIC consultation for the 2006-07 Greater Dandenong council budget has been postponed after councillors sought more time to finalise funding details.
But requirements of the Local Government Act state council is obliged to meet the number of public consultation days, pushing back the entire process by two weeks.
The City of Greater Dandenong 2006-07 budget was scheduled to be made available for public comment at last Monday’s council meeting. But mayor Peter Brown said councillors needed more time to consider elements of the budget before releasing it to the community.
“We wanted more time to consider costing and items considered in the budget. So (today, Thursday) it will be made available to councillors and it will be going before council to be made available on 22 May,” he said.