A $10 million capital works program will give financial security to contractors and the local economy in the Dorset Council region, Mayor Greg Howard says.
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The council’s capital works budget will increase by about 20 per cent from $8.5 million to $10.2 million between the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 financial years.
Cr Howard labelled it as “the biggest capital works program ever undertaken”.
“We do as much as we can to use local contractors,” he said.
“It will certainly give a lot of security to local contractors. It will be good for the north-eastern economy.”
He anticipated the consistent work program planned would give workers the confidence to dip further into their pockets.
While part of next financial year’s budget has been allocated for different regional projects, councillors will discuss the rest of the budget distribution at a council meeting on Monday, June 26.
Some contractors were already gearing up for the council’s five-year capital works program announced last October, Cr Howard said.
Similar-sized councils had capital works program budgets closer to $3.5 million, which made the budget boost an “outstanding achievement” for Dorset Council, he said.
Three years ago, the council recorded a $500,000 deficit.
Now, Cr Howard said, it had worked hard to record a $1.5 million surplus.
Middle and upper management staff and consultants had been cut in a bid to reduce the deficit, he said.
Deputy mayor Max Hall said the increased capital works budget was partly because the council secured about a $3.5 million government loan.
The previous budget had been well-managed with the surplus set to help fund some of the projects.
The Bridport Western Access Road and footpaths in the region had been allocated funding in the next budget, he said.
“Council workers ... have got a pretty big year coming up,” Cr Hall said.
“It’s a lot of money for Dorset Council to be spending.”
Previously the council had fallen on hard times, but tourism had attracted more money to the region, Cr Hall said.
“Without a doubt, we couldn’t be happier.”
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