Stage 3 of the regional sports complex, council's new admin centre and major road upgrades also included in budget

These are a few of the key points in Maitland City Council's latest Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan - a document that is set to deliver much more than roads, rates and rubbish.

Key projects such as Stage 3 of Maitland Regional Sports Complex, the council's new administration centre and major road upgrades are also included.

The draft plan will soon be placed on public exhibition and open for comment until May 16, before councillors ratify it at a meeting in June.

The draft plan also includes recommendations for improvements to Melville Ford and Maitland Vale Road bridges, an upgrade of Robins Oval and Maitland Park amenities, and facade work and roof replacement at Maitland Regional Art Gallery.

Major road upgrades are scheduled for Allandale, Woodberry, Paterson, Dunmore, Luskintyre, Maitland Vale and Phoenix Park roads. Construction and improvements to footpaths, cycleways, drainage and carparks are also on the board.

As for rates, the approved seven-year special rate variation has now ended and council has now moved onto the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's rate peg of 2% which will see an average residential property rate increase of $46.90 applied.

Mayor Loretta Baker said the delivery program will see the continuation of significant major projects and delivery effective services.

"Over this coming year we will continue our focus on customer experience, including the continued improvement of online functionality and access to information, delivering customer driven transformation through a digital road map.

"We will also develop strategies that ensure our future sustainability: financial, economic, environmental and social," the mayor said. "We will see works progress on Maitland Regional Sports Complex, Mount Vincent waste transfer and recycling facility, Maitland administration centre and town hall conservation works, and road upgrades.

The draft operating budget is $181.8million which includes the asset portfolio of $1.2billion. It manages $170million in investments and employs 491 employees.

Council is responsible for the planning and delivery of services for a population of 85,166 (estimated residential population 2019) and 35,810 rateable properties.

The budget for 2021/22 has been developed based on rates revenue increasing by 2%. This sees a budget of over $181.8 million, including $76.7 million in rate revenue and $52.1 million in reserves, developer contributions, and borrowings.

While it shows total cash revenue of $181.8 million, there are other costs council must pay that take up a significant proportion of the budget.