The 2023/24 Budget is my 20th budget and it has been by far the toughest yet. Faced with the infrastructure cliff and finding funding to replace out of date, aged and failing infrastructure, our officers have delivered a responsible budget that begins to address the future needs of our region. For too long, our focus has been on trying to deliver surpluses whilst the real issue is, and will continue to be, how do we continue to deliver 30% of services on 3.5% of the total tax take from all tiers of government, with 20,256 rateable properties?
Repetitive rain events at the start of this term resulted in unprecedented damage to our road network. Faced with the rising cost of materials and CPI sitting at around 7.6%, this year’s budget is focused once again, on the replacement of aging infrastructure, cutting costs wherever we can, and delivering on our needs, not our wants. Our officers within all departments have dug deep to address these needs and have been able to keep rates under CPI with a rise of 7.16% collectively overall but a 5.15% increase in general rates. Albeit not by much, well done to all in keeping the rise under CPI.
This budget will deliver more than $30 million of funding to resolve most of the damage to our road networks. With hundreds of damaged culverts and thousands of kilometres of roads still needing repair, we continue to negotiate for solutions with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. Our negotiations not only focus on the current damage, we also focus on how we can better the situation for the future.
Works to ensure the long-term usability of Condamine River Road are underway and I look forward to seeing this long-term, controversial issue resolved in a positive and professional manner and I thank the residents for their input and patience. At this early stage, I believe that Council has made the right decision and I congratulate our Councillors and staff for their courage and solidarity on this issue.
Waste management continues to haunt Council and is a major budget line item. Our focus is on delivering it as a separate business unit so that we can better manage the escalating costs of doing business in this area. Waste is a heavily regulated business and the focus has changed, not just in dealing with the here and now in waste, but what the future looks like. Council continues to look for opportunities in how to turn the cost of waste management into a return for the rate payers and early conversations with other tiers of government, our neighbours, the public and private sector, are looking encouraging.
This year should see the Warwick Saleyards renovations beginning and the Stanthorpe Art Gallery renovations coming to an end. Investments in our smaller communities will see a plan to address stormwater issues in Leyburn, engineering designs for the Allora community hall, and a resolution to the future of the Seniors Citizens building in Allora. While it has taken some time to get to this point, I know that our Council is focussed on delivering outcomes for these communities, and I am excited to see these come to an acceptable conclusion for our people.
As I have said in the past, we continue to cut the cloth to align with our core business, and we must continue to look at ways where other income achieved will put downward pressure on rates. The funding model for local government is fundamentally flawed and the time has come to vigorously press this issue at all levels of government. It is gratifying to know that other levels of government are listening to us as was evidenced at the recent Australian Local Government Association conference in Canberra.
Work to ensure our water security continues, as today we are one day closer to the next drought. While the Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline resolves Warwick’s future water issues in the short to medium term, Stanthorpe will still need to cart water if we run out again. Council’s preferred position is to still be part of the Granite Belt Grid and we will continue to stay engaged with the Regional Water Assessment process until a solution suitable to all levels of government is agreed upon and we can deliver the necessary infrastructure. I thank the Queensland Government for the help they have given us in finding solutions to these issues to date.
This is a tough budget, a no-frills budget that focuses on the balance between liveability and living within our means. We must replace our aging infrastructure and this means that futuristically, we may need to borrow money on those things that give us a return. We must focus on population growth, other income and innovation so we can continue to punch above our weight and continue to be a great place to live, work, play and stay. I am committed to these strategies, as is our organisation, and with your help, we will find solutions to the problems that are thrown at us.