By CASEY NEILL
RATE capping will affect Greater Dandenong residents more than they realise, Councillor Matthew Kirwan says.
The State Government is expected to cap local government rate rises to CPI from next financial year, cutting $45 million a year from the Greater Dandenong budget.
Cr Kirwan said most residents thought the situation would only require the council to “find a few efficiencies” and were shocked at the figure.
So at the 14 September council meeting he called for public input on how the council should spend a reduced budget and whether it should apply for variations to secure funding for major projects.
“Whether we get a variation to build a Keysborough South Community Hub or Dandenong Community Hub will depend on us showing that the Keysborough South and Dandenong Communities actually want them,” Cr Kirwan said.
He asked council staff to survey what approaches other councils were taking to involve their residents in rate capping conversations, and bring a report to the first meeting in February.
