RELATED STORY: Council cuts jobs
THE fate of Swan Hill’s Youth Program hangs in the balance amid reports significant cuts will be made in council’s 2014-15 budget.
Figures revealed exclusively to The Guardian indicate Swan Hill Rural City Council intends to reduce its youth services department from two employees to just one, jeopardising many of its services.
The position of Youth Officer will be made redundant.
It comes after The Guardian revealed on Wednesday up to seven members of staff will be cut from the local government organisation.
And more cuts are being considered, with councillors reportedly looking closely at the role of the Youth Program, which makes up about $230,000 of council’s estimated $50 million budget.
At a budget meeting last week, some councillors also mooted the possibility of cutting the Indigenous Affairs Program by more than $50,000, but this has been taken off the table for now.
Other programs reportedly facing cuts include Swan Hill Regional Library, the Pioneer Settlement, Harmony Day and Home and Community Care (HACC) services.
Harmony Day is under threat of not returning at all in 2015, with $5000 of its estimated $7000 budget slated to be reallocated.
Some councillors have instead proposed to invest in other areas, including allocating more than $50,000 for possible legal tussles with the state government over the placement of a new bridge between Swan Hill and NSW.
For the full story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (May 16).
