Mortgage brokers in Rockingham admit to having mixed emotions when the City of Rockingham new budget for 2014/2015 was revealed, but mostly for the good. The “bad” news is that there has been a rate increase for 2014/15 of 6.9% for residential properties and 9.9% for commercial properties.
However, this isn’t really bad news. While nobody ever likes to see taxes go up, we are happy that they didn’t rise more. We are also happy because there are a lot of projects in the hopper that will make Rockingham an even better place to live than it already is.
Rockingham has a firm handle on its future. The current budget was formulated by the City of Rockingham with a lot of input from the citizens of Rockingham, making it truly a community effort. The administration of Rockingham wants to ensure a sustainable and firm foundation for the city’s future. This involves affordable tax rates and projects that enhance the city.
Recently Finished Projects
The Mary Davies Library and Community Centre in Baldivis was recently completed at a cost of $12.8 million. It is currently the crown jewel in a system that includes the Rockingham Campus Community Library, the Warnbro Community Library and the Safety Bay Library. It provides Baldivis with their own resource, giving the community a place to congregate while reducing the strain on the other libraries in the system.
Although the library is a very nice upgrade, the $17.8 million Kulija Road project is the most important because of its potential to contribute to long-term growth and capital growth in Rockingham. Kulija Road is Rockingham’s first direct access to the Kwinana Freeway, connecting Rockingham to Perth in a much more direct fashion than the current setup.
This will cut considerable time from the commute to Perth and open up Rockingham to more business and financial opportunities. Any short term rise in taxes will be more than offset by the potential for long term capital growth. It was set to open in June, but has been moved back to this month.
We look forward to being more closely connected to Perth and the benefits this connection will provide to our community.
Projects on Tap
The Secret Harbour Surf Life Saving Club (SHSLSC) is scheduled to begin receiving a $5 million upgrade. The SHSLSC is scheduled to be the site of a new pavilion that will allow it to provide more services to the community. For example, the pavilion is expected to provide beach safety and patrols, meeting rooms for the community, recreation, sport and educational and business opportunities.
The SHSLSC operational area will include an office administration area, operations room, first aid room and wet and dry training areas. A gymnasium with a multi-purpose health and wellbeing studio is on tap, as are a cafe, a kiosk, community meeting rooms and public toilets.
The Val Street Jetty is slated for a $3.6 million upgrade; The existing inner section will be demolished and replaced, a low level deck extension which will be designed to provide what they see as “universal access.” Recreational and commercial boating improvements are also planned, as are beach access ramps and landscaping of the foreshore, providing protection to the coast.
Safety First
Even in a beautiful city such as Rockingham, safety can be an issue. To keep Rockingham one of the safest places in the world to live, the city is spending $1.3 million on closed circuit television (CCTV) in Rockingham, Secret Harbour and Baldivis. The CCTV project is designed to diminish criminal activity and promote public safety.
The Rockingham Vision
We are thankful that the council, the CEO and the Mayor have such a firm grasp of where Rockingham should be going in the future. We know that the current budget is another step to keeping Rockingham sustainable for now and for the future.
Rockingham is becoming a better and better place to live. If you want to move here and are looking for a home loan, call Smartline Rockingham today: (08) 9527 1800.
