The City of Sydney has announced it will boost spending to nearly $370 million this year on vital community services.

 

The City's Financial Plan and Budget for 2012-13 shows substantial increases in operational spending across the board, from maintaining critical assets such as roads and stormwater drains to world leading events such as Sydney New Year's Eve.

 

Among the major commitments are:

 

  • $48 million on cleansing and waste, including waste and recycling services and graffiti removal, up from an estimated $45.3 million in 2011/12;
  • Almost $41 million on managing buildings, including community, operational facilities, up from $35.7 million;
  • $53 million on libraries, children's services, addressing homelessness, and a wide range of community, cultural and environmental grants and services, up from $49 million;
  • $30 million on flood mitigation, improving traffic and pedestrian accessibility and other public infrastructure maintenance, up from $26.6 million;
  • $27 million on Rangers, up from $24.7 million;
  • $17 million on maintaining key assets such as the City's vehicle fleet and network of depots, and managing car parking stations and parking meters, up from $16 million
  • Nearly $14 million on food safety inspections, investigating noise complaints, regulating building fire safety codes and other public health issues, up from $11 million;
  • $12 million on informing and engaging with the community and key stakeholders; and
  • $10 million on assessing development applications to maintain environmental, community and heritage standards, up from $9 million.

 

 

"Services such as keeping footpaths in good shape and collecting garbage are among the most important things the City does for the community. Without these bread-and-butter services Sydney would not function," Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.

 

"Much of this work goes unnoticed, but as the community expects, the City does it every day. Where things go wrong the impact affects many people, so getting the basics right is essential."

 

Operational spending in the 2012-13 Budget totals $368 million, a rise of almost $27 million on the $342 million forecast spending in the 2011-12 financial year.