GREATER Bendigo's council might borrow money to avoid breaking state-imposed rate caps, the mayor says as councillors elsewhere in the state wonder how they will find the cash to pay their share.
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Cr Andrea Metcalf has ruled out hiking Bendigo rates above limits set by Victoria's government as the council works out how to finance games preparation.
"Borrowing is an option, we are certainly not looking at increasing a rate cap or anything like that," she said.
The comments came days after multiple Bendigo councillors warned they would need to keep a sharper eye on the municipal budget as a "perfect storm" of inflation, rates capping, skills shortage and the pandemic hangover bears down on finances.
The games is one of the "big pressures", Cr Matthew Evans told a council meeting on Monday night.
"We are not, at this stage, fully aware of what our exact financial contribution is," he said.
Cr Evans said people should not be concerned as the budget was still in a good financial position.
That does not appear to be the case for fellow Games host city Geelong, which is grappling with a $150 million budget blowout.
One councillor there has told media outlets that city might need direct support like extra government funding, relaxed borrowing limits or increasing rates above current caps.
"Council wholeheartedly supports the delivery of the games in regional Victoria, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the reality is that our latest financial results indicate that we can't afford it," Cr Anthony Aitken has told the ABC.
Games delivery minister Jacinta Allan met with reporters and Bendigo's mayor on Wednesday morning while spruiking works at Flora Hill's athletes' village.
"I've seen some of the comments, this morning, coming out of Geelong and I can only reiterate that whether it's with the Geelong mayor or other officials ... we've had a bunch of strong and positive conversations," Ms Allan said.
Bendigo's mayor is happy with government consultations and thinks it "reasonable" her council should pay for some games builds, especially those that leave a longer legacy for residents.
That could include a multitude of projects not confined to the sports and cultural precincts earmarked for the games, like the footpaths and other infrastructure needed to link everything up.
The council will work out how much money it could borrow at a later date but would likely spread them out over a number of years.
"It's not the first time council's borrowed for major items," Cr Metcalf said.
She said the council had been diligently paying down its debts in recent years.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
