June 20, 2016
The South Burnett Regional Council will bring down a $1.83 million surplus this year, well up on the $59,000 it forecast when it handed down its 2015-16 Budget 12 months ago.
Finance portfolio chair Cr Ros Heit reported the surprise turnaround at last week’s Council meeting.
Cr Heit said the surplus had come about from a:
- $43,000 increase in waste collection rates
- $110,000 increase in scrap metal recycling revenue
- $1,185,000 increase that resulted from an adjustment to internal charge rates for materials and services
The remainder ($497,000) came from a $1.275 million windfall the Council received last October, the balance of which has since been spent on capital works projects.
Cr Heit said the change was welcome because the Council had seen a $475,000 revenue decline in other areas of its operations over the last twelve months.
These included a $79,000 drop in tourist park income, fuel sales, stockyard fees, animal fees and cemetery income; a $182,000 decline in investment interest, largely due to a fall in interest rates; a $14,000 drop in income from immunisation services; and a $201,000 decline in grants income.
The Council will be handing down its 2016-17 Budget next Monday, June 27.
- Related article: Council Receives $1.2m Windfall
UPDATED June 27, 2018: This report originally stated that Council had achieved an “operating” surplus. It was in fact, an overall surplus.
