At the meeting residents addressed council in support of their submissions to the draft.

There was praise and criticism for budget projects, with the Moe and District Residents Association (MADRA) calling on council to amend the budget to fund new public toilets for Moe's Central Business District.

MADRA president Tony Paul said Moe had lost use of 80 per cent of CBD toilets since 1994, with the town hall toilets left.

But these had been ``allowed to deteriorate to a completely unacceptable state''.

Council has said toilets will be constructed in the future as part of the Moe Activity Centre Plan.

The Draft Budget proposes a 5.2 per cent rate increase and a $35.82 million capital works program.

Latrobe Valley Hockey Association spokesperson Linda Reid thanked council for allocating $300,000 towards a synthetic field at the Monash University sporting pitch.

``We will have a state-of-the-art facility coming to us, thank you for embracing it,'' she said.

Latrobe City Farm Ratepayers Association president Graeme O'Hara welcomed the retention of a special rate for farmers which is 75 per cent of the proposed general rate increase. He said it recognised the inequity farm businesses faced when it comes to rates.

Hazelwood North residents Robert Lewis and Gary Honeychurch asked for $20,000 towards development of an oval at Warren Terrace to be removed from the budget.

The pair support construction of recreation facilities adjacent to Hazelwood North Primary School on Church Road and want council to investigate that option before allocating funds to the Warren Terrace site.

The 2009-10 Draft Budget will be considered for adoption at a meeting on Monday 6 July.