100 Days to Council Elections
Friday 2 June, 2017
Friday 2 June marks an important milestone for the Inner West Council – 100 days to Council elections on 9 September.
Administrator for the Inner West Council Mr Richard Pearson said that Council has spent the last 13 months creating a strong, innovative and modern Council to hand over to elected officials.
“Over the last year myself and the dedicated and professional Council staff have been working hard to create a new Inner West Council,” he said.
“We’ve been combining and improving our services and expanding successful programs.
“We have created a responsible budget and operational program that is focused on delivering excellent services, maintaining our assets and addressing our infrastructure backlog.
“Through prudent financial management we will deliver $2.5 million in savings this current financial year.
“If Council stays on track over the next ten years, we will save nearly $26 million in funds that will all go back into the community to deliver better services and infrastructure.
“We’ve delivered more Capital works than ever before, have a record 2017/18 capital works budget of $66 million and we’ve invested heavily in our community and our economy.
“We are well on the way to building a strong and competent council to hand back to elected representatives.”
Since amalgamation, Inner West Council has:
- Turned around a $4 million deficit and delivered nearly $2.5 million in savings for the 16/17 financial year.
- Created a strong voice for the inner west, advocating and getting results in the fight to protect the community from the impacts of WestConnex
- Proposed a game changing public solution for Parramatta Road which is garnering wide interest and consideration.
- Created a city-leading affordable housing policy with ambitious targets to address Sydney’s affordable housing crisis which will create hundreds of affordable rental units over coming years.
- Delivered in excess of $60 million in capital works projects in 2016/17, greatly exceeding the combined totals of the previous councils in any year.
- Created the Inner West Planning Panel to provide greater independence and probity to the determination of large developments.
- Expanded successful economic development initiatives such as the main street revitalisation program, the shop local campaigns and the Balmain Jazz in the Park weekend.
- Used State Government Stronger Communities funding to fast track major projects like the Greenway missing links, and upgrades and repairs to Ashfield Park, Birchgrove Sports Pavilion, Leichhardt and Petersham Town Halls, Sydenham Green and Steel Park.
- Administered Stronger Communities Grants that have seen upgrades for the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre truck, the Pratten Park Community Sports and Bowling Club kitchen and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, and the iconic Sea of Hands project visit Camperdown.
Residents are reminded to mark 9 September on their calendar for their chance to vote for their local elected representatives to continue building a strong Inner West Council.