June 28, 2017
Most Gympie region ratepayers can expect a rate rise of no more than 2.1 per cent after Gympie Regional Council adopted its 2017-18 budget on Wednesday morning.
The increase is in line with CPI, and is similar to last year’s rate rise.
The Budget forecasts total revenues of $96.5 million and an operating surplus of $2.7 million.
This year, Gympie Regional Council will pursue a $44.5 million capital works program, $3.5 million lower than last year.
$15 million will be spent on roads, footpaths and drains, and $11.9 million on economic development.
Other expenditures proposed in the Budget include $775,000 for the management of the region’s aquatic facilities and $995,000 for a safety and amenities upgrade of the Gympie Civic Centre.
The council will also make a $50,000 cash contribution to the Gympie Muster, $50,000 for the Rush Festival, $30,000 for Heart of Gold Festival, $25,000 to the Gympie District Show and $10,000 each for the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival and the Rainbow Beach Fishing Classic.
The first stage of the River to Rail Trail is forecast to be delivered later this year, and the Council has allocated a further $50,000 to design the second stage of the trail.
The council will also set aside $75,000 for the G150 Gympie sesquicentenary celebrations, and $1.1 million for the creation of a Rattler RV park, “subject to external funding”.
Gympie Regional Council will continue to give a 10 per cent early payment discount for rates, water and sewerage charges.
However, there will be no discounts for the Emergency Management Levy, Environment Levy, Economic Development Levy, Roads Infrastructure Charge, or waste collection and water consumption charges that also appear on rate notices.
The annual pensioner rebate of $160 will continue.
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The full text of Gympie Mayor Mick Curran’s Budget speech:
Mayor’s Speech – Budget 2017/18
I am pleased to present Gympie Regional Council’s Budget for 2017/18.
I believe it’s important to talk about the responsibilities of Council in today’s world and how this budget meets those responsibilities.
The traditional role of councils was always described in terms of roads, rates and rubbish and this budget places a lot of emphasis on these key areas.
Today’s regional local government is also about providing community facilities, promoting economic development and building community confidence. Council’s role is about creating a future for its residents, and this budget sets out a range of activities over the coming years, which achieves this.
For our rural residents, roads are part of day-to-day life and in adopting this budget, we will be committing significant additional expenditure to maintaining unsealed roads.
Rural road maintenance is often a thankless and expensive activity which is subject to the impact of our ever changing weather conditions however, we are committed to increasing the level of resources applied to rural road maintenance.
We are in the enviable position of continuing to have a program of works for sealing gravel roads. This will continue with the adoption of this budget for Tagigan, Anderleigh and Coonoongibber Creek Roads.
Over the last six months, the Councillors and I have spent many hours considering our waste management strategy. Gone are the days of unsupervised landfills, poor environmental standards and inequitable cost burdens.
This budget, in addition to recent decisions by Council, puts in place an environmentally and financially responsible waste management system, which is not only environmentally sustainable but it significantly decreases risks to Council by meeting the State Government’s legislative requirements.
The success of the Aquatic and Recreation Centre (ARC) highlights the importance of community facilities. The ARC has not only provided community health and recreation outcomes, but has also provided both direct and indirect economic benefits for the region.
We need to ensure we do not underestimate the role community facilities play in terms of community and economic outcomes.
Planning for one of the most used facilities in the region, being the Gympie Library will continue.
Initial investigations started two years ago and these will be progressed, noting it may be some time before works commence.
Land revaluations from the State Government have made this years’ budget more challenging than previous years.
This year, the State Government’s revaluations meant some property values went up and some went down and any change in rates depends on any change in your property’s value.
I announce today that in 2017-18, the average increase in rates for owner-occupied residential properties will increase on average by no more than 2.1 per cent. This decision sees a fair and equitable rate increase applied to all households and has been achieved by keeping best value for ratepayers’ front of mind in all decisions.
Gympie is surrounded by natural beauty from the picturesque hinterland to white sandy beaches and this years’ budget demonstrates our commitment to protecting and maintaining these natural assets.
The Environmental Levy is forecast to raise $894,000 this year and 20 per cent of this levy will be allocated to various community groups including $50,000 towards our annual commitment for environmental offsets, $20,000 for a koala population study and $20,000 for the QCoast Coastal Hazards program.
Our community is our focus and this budget demonstrates our ongoing dedication by supporting facilities, activities, events and projects that aid health, well being, social cohesion, innovation, creativity and connectedness.
Council will be investing $342,000 by way of sponsorship and $155,000 by way of community grants including $50,000 towards the Gympie Music Muster, $50,000 for the Rush Festival, $30,000 for Heart of Gold Festival, $25,000 to the Gympie District Show and $10,000 each for the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival and the Rainbow Beach Fishing Classic.
Council will continue its strong focus on promoting the Gympie region as a key destination for tourism in Queensland.
The region has seen impressive visitor growth in both the domestic and international markets, which has now placed us as one of the fastest growing tourism regions in Queensland. This budget will aim to continue this trend.
Stage one of The River to Rail Trail will be delivered later this year and Council has allocated a further $50,000 to design Stage 2 of the trail which will enhance the visitor experience to the area.
To conclude, Council has spent many hours over the past two months putting together this budget and I would like to thank the Councillors, CEO and staff for their contribution.
This budget reflects the recently adopted Corporate Plan 2017-2022 and it also takes into account previously adopted strategies and policies.
Ultimately, the budget puts into action not only services for the residents but also the plans and projects aimed at supporting the economy and the liveability of the region.
The world is changing around us, the needs and aspirations of our residents are changing and Council would not be meeting its responsibilities if we ignored these changes and simply offered more of the same.
The Gympie region has an increasing population and it’s delivering more lifestyle and leisure options which helps secure its position as a desirable and natural choice to live, work and play.
This budget not only reflects the important traditional elements of roads, rates and rubbish but it also meets a key responsibility of Council which is planning for the future of the region in a rapidly changing world.
