Mayor Bryan Cadogan said South Otago's ratepayers had endorsed the council's key proposals for moving the district forward, after council recommendations on three key issues had been voted through during long-term plan discussions on Wednesday.
Those were the Milton main street upgrade project; the Mt Cooee Landfill upgrade; and roading improvements.
The council confirmed the Milton main street upgrade as a multi-year project with a budget of $2 million.
A $550,000 overhaul of Milton's main public toilet at the Stewart Reserve had already been budgeted for during 2019-20.
Improving Milton's main street was a high priority identified in the Our Place Milton Community Plan, Mr Cadogan said.
"This funding will be key for the district as a whole, as it continues council's work to turn fortunes around after decades of stagnation."
The council had also agreed to a larger, purpose-built recovery centre and transfer station at Mt Cooee Landfill in Balclutha, with a budget of $700,000.
This reflected an increased environmental awareness in the community, Mr Cadogan said.
A three-year budget of $200,000 was allotted to extend the operational consent of the landfill.
On the "hot topic" of roading in the district, ratepayers could feel confident their concerns had been met with sympathy in council, Mr Cadogan said.
Council confirmed a budget of $2 million for sealing gravel roads in urban areas, allowing about 5.7km to be sealed.
This was a change of position for the council as, since 2009, the high cost of sealing had meant it had only sealed roads qualifying for funding assistance from the NZ Transport Agency.
A programme for prioritising and sealing rural roads would also be considered during the 2019-20 annual plan process, with a budget of $1 million confirmed to buy stockpiles of gravel for ongoing maintenance of the network in the meantime.
These and smaller projects confirmed during the week's meetings spoke to the district's lofty goals, Mr Cadogan said.
"It's a tonic to see the positive attitude of local people shining through. We're confident we can apply these key projects while maintaining financial rigour."
An overall rates increase of between 2 and 3% was projected; an exact figure was due today.
