A total of $3.372 million will be spent on community services this financial year, with a breakdown of costs outlined in the council’s 2018-19 Budget. The projected spend is more than the 2017-18 Budget of $3.339 million.

The Horsham Town Hall is one of the council’s most expensive assets.

The venue has a projected expenditure of $1.724 million and projected revenue of $1.234 million for 2018-19. This is a projected net loss of $490,000.

Horsham Mayor Mark Radford said the costs associated with maintaining the municipality’s services, such as the town hall, were worth it.

“I can’t argue the figures, but the town hall –  like most council facilities – are not designed to make a profit,” he said.

“The ratepayers subsidise them. So all the things that the council does, whether it’s the library or the livestock exchange, council and ratepayers chip in to them all.

“Of course a certain percentage of our rates go towards the things that we don’t use, but it’s a part of being in a community – we all contribute to everything. People have an opportunity to comment on the way council spend the money.

“The councillors have already started talking about next year’s Budget for 2019-20, and once again the public will be welcomed to be a part of discussions. When those opportunities come, they should be a part of the conversation.”

THE Horsham Town Hall is one of the council’s most expensive community services to maintain.

Costing a total of $19.8 million to build, with the council contributing $7.1 million to the project, the venue was completed in January 2016.

The total revenue of performing arts services, including the Horsham Town Hall, in 2017-18 was $1.065 million, while expenditure was $1.549 million. This was a net deficit of $484,000.

Cr Radford said the community was lucky to have an asset such as the town hall.

“The original idea was to have a proscenium theatre as a regional facility that could cater for more people in the region than just Horsham. It has also been embraced by our local arts community too,” he said.

“The state government promised us many years ago that it would put Horsham on the travelling loop for artists. The sort of things we’ve had in the hall since 2016 have attracted people from all around the region.

“I think it was money well spent. It’s important to realise that Horsham received more grants than anywhere in the state to make this project happen – we received $6 million from the state government and $5 million from the federal government.”

The council’s next project for the venue is to complete the revitalisation of the heritage floor hall. 

“During the redevelopment, the floor was recognised as being towards the end of its life. It has been sanded and painted so many times. Now the town hall project is finished, council has been able to source some funds through the Budget process to fix the floor,” Cr Radford said.

“The town hall is used so much throughout the year, so it’s important that we keep up the maintenance with all of it.”

Horsham Arts Council president Simon Dandy said the council used to hold its productions at the Horsham Theatre.

“There were a lot of limitations and issues – we had to have static sets and were limited to what we could do with lighting. There was also very limited space backstage for changerooms. It would be impossible to hold a show there now,” he said.

The council’s first show at the new Horsham Town Hall was staged in 2016.

“The town hall is modern, safe and has lots of space for us. (Technical operations team leader) Shane Podolski and his team are fantastic and help with guiding what we can and can’t do,” he said.

“There was a lot of conjecture about it when it was being built, but it has proven to be a great facility. The standard of shows that are being held is great and the economic benefits would reach the whole region, not just the groups using the facility. It’s a community service we need to have and I’m so glad it’s there.”

The Dancers Zone principal director Lynne McKenzie said the town hall enabled the dance school to hold more elaborate shows.

“You can put a show on there with ease. Having a facility like this is a really positive thing. It’s wonderful for the community and is used constantly – we’re very lucky to have it,” she said.

The Horsham Town Hall Redevelopment fundraising campaign ended on June 30. However the council passed a motion at its October 2018 meeting to continue the campaign until the $1-million target was reached.

According to the council’s 2017-18 Annual Report, the venue’s turnover included a ticket revenue of $926,424. Along with the Horsham Regional Art Gallery, the venue held 239 events and 290 community engagement programs. 

Thirty-seven per cent of ticket sales came from outside the municipality, including patrons visiting from the United Kingdom, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. 

The costs associated with sport and recreation facilities throughout the municipality, including the Horsham Aquatic Centre, was $1.260 million in the 2017-18 financial year. Revenue for for these services was $68,000.

Projected expenditure for sports and recreation services in the 2018-19 financial year is $1.466 million, while revenue is projected at $106,000.

The aquatic centre had 37,000 more visits than the previous year, with costs for running the facility decreasing due to the rise in visitors.

User fees for the municipality’s sporting and recreation facilities increased from the previous year from $82,000 to $133,000. The council spent $90,863 on refurbishing sporting facilities in the region in 2017-18.

Other costs associated with sports and recreation services include $97,000 for passive recreation facilities, $35,000 for indoor sports complexes, and $562,000 for outdoor sports ovals, including turf and grass expenses.

Total revenue for visual arts services in 2017-18, including the Horsham Regional Art Gallery, was $151,000, while expenditure was $558,000. 

The Horsham Town Hall and Horsham Regional Art Gallery welcomed more than 65,000 visitors during the financial year. The gallery showcased 21 art exhibitions and worked with 135 artists.

The projected costing for Civic Centre office operations in 2018-19 is $197,000.

Cr Radford said the redesign of the public foyer would be started soon, costing about $400,000.

“That’s going to make it a lot more safe for the staff and better for the public. The works that were done in the chamber were funded from a previous Budget,” he said.

Parks and gardens is one of the council’s biggest services, with projected expenditure for 2018-19 of$2.456 million and a projected revenue of $14,000.

A total of $1.352 million is spent on maintaining open spaces, while $880,000 is budgeted for street trees and the city centre. Maintaining waterways, foreshores and wetlands costs $164,000.

Cr Radford said having a presentable and tidy municipality helped boost the region’s reputation.

“We often have visitors contact us to say that our town looks beautiful and to congratulate the staff who maintain it. It’s the visitor economy we have to think about – it all goes around in a big circle,” he said.

The council’s business activities services include the Horsham Aerodrome. Expenditure for the services cost $760,000 in 2017-18, with revenue of $710,000.

The Horsham Aerodrome has projected 2018-19 expenditure of $102,000 and revenue of $39,000.

The Visitor Information Centre has a projected expenditure for 2018-19 of $274,000 and a projected revenue of $33,000.

HORSHAM Mayor Mark Radford was quoted in this article saying the Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange was subsidised by the Horsham Rural City Council and its ratepayers.

The Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange is owned and operated by the council, however it is a self-funded and self-sufficient facility. Income generated for the facility comes from yard, agent, assignment and truck wash fees.

Horsham councillor David Grimble is the exchange’s board chairman and said the facility had a self-sufficient Budget that required no funding from the council.

“The facility is very reliant for successful grants. The ratepayers of Horsham are not contributing to the facility,” he said.

“The committee estimates how much stock will go through each year to determine the Budget. When the numbers are less than expected, we make up for it with agistment and truck wash fees.

“Any profits made go back into a pool to spend on maintenance and upgrades of the facility.”

While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.