May 22, 2013
South Burnett councillors have met in a workshop to discuss the pros and cons of introducing a roads levy in the July Council Budget.
Council CEO Ken McLoughlin said other councils had introduced a levy – by various names and of differing amounts – to bolster their roads programs in response to the reduction in grants from the Federal and State governments.
He said the South Burnett had resisted introducing a levy so far, but unfortunately there was no other “realistic option” available if it was to repair roads.
Councillors were told the $850,000 needed to build strategically placed culverts that could minimise rain damage on rural roads would not be possible without a levy.
Roads Portfolio spokesman Cr Damien Tessmann said money raised and spent now would lessen the longer-term burden on ratepayers.
A works program item to reseal many of the roads in Kingaroy’s CBD area was also reviewed but it, too, would rely on a roads levy.
“We need to spend about $2 million in 2013/14 just to get things back to near normal in this area alone. At present some of these roads are falling apart in front of our eyes,” Cr Tessmann said.
A levy would also enable works to be undertaken over the next three years that would otherwise have been programmed over 10 years, a delay which councillors said was not acceptable.
A roads levy would also allow council to employ five more staff to deliver on-the-ground work.
“This has an added benefit of employing a future five staff who will live and buy in the South Burnett. This would be a small but important economic stimulus and they all help our local businesses,” Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said.
He said he was very concerned that if Council did not take the initiative and “make the hard decision” about a roads levy in the upcoming Budget then the problem would not only be bigger and more expensive in the future but it would not go away.
“The workshop was an eye opener and clearly laid on the table for all councillors the need to be proactive for the long-term benefit of our region. I know the people of the South Burnett will understand and support Council in these challenging times,” Cr Kratzmann said.
“My council is positioning this region for the future and these types of decisions form an essential part of that picture.”
Council will bring down its 2013/14 Budget on July 3, 2013.
