Brimbank council will no longer fund and run the popular Brimbank Animal Expo and a multi-award-winning recycling program as it looks to find $6.5 million in savings in this year’s budget.
The council has also withdrawn $25,000 for the Whitten Youth Leadership project as it tightens its belt in response to rate-capping.
“It’s difficult to tell the [EJ Whitten] foundation we won’t be giving them that $25,000 each year,” chairman of administrators John Watson said. “They’re difficult decisions.”
The council’s website said the 2015 animal expo drew about 5000 visitors to Westvale Community Centre last October.
Details of the expo were removed from the website last Thursday.
“Council is not delivering the pet expo … [but] will continue to promote pet education,” chief executive officer Paul Younis said.
The council did not seek an exemption to raise rates above the state government-imposed limit of 2.5 per cent.
“We had the ability to deal with it without adversely impacting on services and the amenity of the city,” Mr Watson said.
The council has also cut its Be a Brimbank Gem program, which won the 2012 Premier’s Sustainability Award and 2014 Keep Australia Beautiful Australian Sustainable Cities Award, and the $45,000 Sustainable Land Management Scheme.
It has also scaled back funding for other events such as the Sydenham Kite Festival. “Now the [kite] festival is established we can reduce funding support,” Mr Younis said.
The council said the format of Be a Brimbank Gem and the animal expo would change and there would be “greater emphasis on social media awareness campaigns and seeking partnerships with other agencies to raise educational awareness”.
Community ownership
Mr Watson said the council’s approach since 2014 had been for the community to take greater ownership of local festivals.
“As demonstrated by the recent St Albans Lunar New Year Festival, the most successful events are those with a high level of community ownership.”
The council will also save $140,000 this year by employing RMIT students instead of contractors to audit council assets.
One of its biggest savings will come in “staffing overheads”, with $1.5 million expected to be saved.
“There has been no growth in staffing numbers and some vacant positions have not been filled,” Mr Watson said.
The council also cut $5000 in Neighbour Day grants and it expects to save $100,000 by closing the St Albans Leisure Centre child care service and the Sunshine Leisure Centre cafe.
