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Happy Mother's Day to all the mums!
Warrnambool City Council's proposed budget for next financial year contains a bitter pill.
The council earlier this week revealed it planned to lift rates by two per cent, the maximum allowed under the state government's cap.
The two per cent comes after the council last year lifted rates by 4.25 per cent having received permission from the Essential Services Commission. The council had also received the green light to lift rates by 4.25 per cent next financial but it has instead opted for two per cent.
The council argued it needed the higher lift last year to tackle an asset renewal backlog.
But this week's disclosure comes at a terrible time with the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions hitting businesses and livelihoods hard.
The region's charities are handing out food parcels in record numbers.
The council was pillared for the 4.25 per cent rise this year, alongside a raft of increases in fees, including pet registrations. Some, including pet registration fees, are earmarked to jump again.
City officials are between a rock and a hard place. They need to provide services, upgrade ageing facilities and provide a stimulus after we emerge from COVID-19 social restrictions. But to do that, the council needs revenue.
State treasurer Tim Pallas believes councils shouldn't hit ratepayers.
"We are advocating councils look at their balance sheets to see what they can do," Mr Pallas said. "Anyone who thinks the way of managing their way out of this is to try and balance budgets will cause hardships right across their communities."
Neighbouring Moyne and Corangamite shires are planning to keep rates at this year's level with no increase planned. Why can't the city? Is it looking at tightening its belt?
The council committed to an organisational review in July last year after the contentious debate around the 4.25 per cent rise. So what's happened with that? Has anything changed?
The council needs to heed Mr Pallas' advice.
It was a big week on a couple of fronts. The crowd-free, down-sized May Racing Carnival gave the region national exposure with an all-jumps racing program on Tuesday and a day of flat racing on Wednesday.
The meetings were a far cry from the traditional three-day carnival but it was interesting that Tuesday's jumps-only program was deemed a big success. The industry has never dared run a jumps-only program but it seemed to capture more attention than the run-of-the-mill racing on the flat. Warrnambool Racing Club might have stumbled on a winner that could change the face of the carnival next year.
Winslow export Ciaron Maher's triumph in the Grand Annual Steeplechase saw him equal the most wins of any trainer in the race's 148-year history with four.
Our photographers, who were not allowed into the course precinct because of the strict protocols associated with COVID-19, came up with some creative images from paddocks, hills and across roads. Morgan Hancock captured the image above, along with an unusual celebration shot away from the course with Maher and his brother Declan, who runs his Ballarat operation.
It was also a big week on the COVID-19 front. It was another week without any confirmed positive cases in the region. We have had no cases of community transmission in the region so when Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday the national cabinet's plan to ease social restrictions, we had plenty of reasons to be excited. But within minutes of his press conference ending and Premier Daniel Andrews' starting, our hopes of returning to a more 'normal' lifestyle were dashed.
Mr Andrews says the state's high rate of community transmissions is reason enough to delay easing restrictions. Our thoughts go out to those stood down from their jobs and businesses doing it tough but as early as tomorrow Mr Andrews will announce some easing of restrictions. It appears though that many have become impatient, judging by the number of people out shopping yesterday.
The region's sporting fraternity is chomping at the bit to return to the ovals, courts and fields but a survey of south-west football netball club presidents revealed a majority would not be prepared to play this winter if crowd-free restrictions remained in place. At the earliest, judging by the federal government's road map to emerging from COVID-19, gatherings of 100 are likely to be allowed by July. But without crowds, how can clubs survive? 2020 is increasingly looking like being a football and netball-free zone, which is a blow on social, health and economic fronts.
Our story about the south-west being a rural property hot-spot again highlighted the region as one of the state's most productive farming areas.
Until next week, stay safe and patient.