Pyrenees Shire Council has become the first local government in Victoria to be granted an exemption to the 2% rate cap for its 2017/18 budget.

The council had applied for an additional 1.5% above the State Government’s Fair Go Rates cap of 2% for both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

CEO Jim Nolan says the council welcomes the Essential Services Commission’s approval of its higher rate cap application.

“The decision is a balanced and fair one, based on the many factors in our application,” he says. 

Additional income raised as a result of the higher rate cap will be approximately $356,000 over two years, which the council says will be quarantined for road infrastructure renewal, with a focus on gravel roads. 

Mayor Ron Eason says he looks forward to implementing the Gravel Roads Strategy.

“The strategy came about after consultation with the community, who told us they weren’t satisfied with our current servicing levels,” Eason says. 

“We’ll now be able to move forward knowing we have additional funding to help service the 1,292 kilometres of unsealed roads we are responsible for."