June 25, 2018
The South Burnett Regional Council’s 2018-19 Budget will invest almost $26 million into the region’s 3000km road network over the coming year.
This will include the largest gravel resheeting program in the Council’s history.
Roads Portfolio chair Cr Gavin Jones said his first two years in the job had been “a battle” to secure the data needed to make informed budget decisions on the road network.
“I now understand and have had to accept the fact that money raised in the road infrastructure levy was never going to be enough to match what is needed to maintain our road network,” Cr Jones said.
“I acknowledge the fact that I have said on numerous occasions in the general public that I didn’t want the road infrastructure levy to merge into the general rate, but with the information now available to myself I understand the need for this to happen.
“My personal opinion is that the road infrastructure levy should not have been introduced as a levy and that Council should have made the hard call early in the piece to increase the general rate.”
Cr Jones said he believed that when new information had come to him, he was entitled to change his mind.
But he promised all funds raised for roads will be used on them.
“Moving forward, I make the commitment to ensure that the road infrastructure levy amount once put into the general rate will continue to be used as it was meant to be, and that is on roads and roads only.
“It is my job now as a Councillor holding the portfolio for Roads and Drainage to ensure we have greater benefits in our roads network from here on.
“I sit very comfortable knowing we are about to embark on the biggest ever gravel resheeting program in the history of Council.”
Cr Jones said that $6.75 million of this year’s funding will be spent on road maintenance.
This is $1 million (ie 17 per cent) more than last year.
A record $4.56 million will also be spent on gravel resheeting of unsealed roads, and a further $3 million will be spent on pavement rehabilitation and resealing in the sealed road network.
Other keynote Roads Portfolio projects in 2018-19 include:
- $543,000 on footpaths, including $260,000 to improve Murgon CBD’s footpaths
- $413,000 on drainage improvements to Premier Drive in Kingaroy, and at Blackbutt
- $334,000 on betterment works to floodways on Manar Road and Broad Creek Road
- $275,000 on a bitumen seal at the intersection of Barkers Creek Road and Old Wondai Road
