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by Anne Miller
June 11, 2019
The State Government’s 2019-20 Budget, handed down by Treasurer Jackie Trad on Tuesday, contains few surprises for the South Burnett region.
A $10 million building project at Murgon State High School, foreshadowed earlier this year, has been confirmed with $3.4 million allocated towards the cost.
Funds have also been allotted towards the long-discussed pit expansion into nearby forestry at Tarong’s Meandu coal mine.
Work will continue on the Kingaroy Hospital redevelopment, with another $23.8 million put towards the project.
Money has also been allocated again to replace the fire station at Kilkivan. The promised new complex at Kilkivan has been a long time coming; $900,000 was set aside in the 2017-18 State Budget; followed by $900,000 in 2018-19. Work has still to start on the project.
Likewise, the new fire station at Yarraman has also been previously announced, with $800,000 allocated in 2018-19 out of a then-projected cost of $1.5 million.
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State Budget allocations for the region in 2019-20 include:
- Bunya Mountains – $480,000 for the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program to protect environmental and Indigenous cultural heritage values in the Bunya Mountains.
- Cherbourg – $3.5 million for 20 new social housing lots
- Jimna Fire Tower – $1.3 million out of a $1.5 million total cost to restore the Heritage-listed tower.
- Kilkivan Fire Station – $1.6 million out of a $1.8 million total cost of a project to replace the facility.
- Kingaroy Hospital – $23.8 million, the next tranche of funding for the $73.9 million redevelopment project.
- Linc Energy mine site – $16.2 million out of the $38.1 million cost to manage the former Linc Energy UCG site at Hopeland, near Chinchilla.
- Meandu Mine – $34.8 million out of the $201.2 million total spend to develop expand the mining area and replace and refurbish assets.
- Murgon State High School – $3.4 million out of the $10 million total cost to build a hall and a new administration building.
- New England Highway – $8.1 million out of the $9.3 million cost to replace the timber Emu Creek Bridge, part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program delivered in partnership with the Federal Government.
- Tarong Power Station – $101.7 million out of $353.7 million total cost to design and construct a new fly ash plant as well as a range of refurbishments and improvements.
- Yarraman Fire Station – $1.4 million out of $1.5 million total spend for a replacement station.
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Road Projects
- Brisbane Valley Highway (Ipswich to Harlin) – $206,000 to upgrade pedestrian facilities over 600 metre stretch
- Bunya Highway (between Kingaroy and Goomeri) – $181,000 to install a pedestrian refuge
- Burrandowan Road – Aerodrome Road in Kingaroy – $132,000 to improve the intersection
- Byee Road – $305,000 to widen and seal 500 metres (with allocations of $31,000 2020-21 and an indicated $352,000 in 2022-23)
- Cairns Street, Nanango – $16,000 to construct a cycleway, footpaths and supporting infrastructure
- D’Aguilar Highway (Kilcoy to Yarraman) – $30,000 to improve channelisation over a 2km section
- D’Aguilar Highway (Yarraman to Kingaroy) – $135,000 to widen and overlay two sections, 3km in total (with $6.165 million indicated for 2022-23)
- GS Bond Bridge on Chinchilla-Wondai Road – $12.447 million indicative allocation for 2022-23
- Haly Street, Wondai – $48,000 to construct a footpath
- Kilcoy Creek Bridge, Kilcoy – $3.88 million to replace the bridge and approaches
- Kingaroy-Cooyar Road – Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road – $237,000 to reshape and seal intersection
- Kumbia-Brooklands Road – $251,000 indicative allocation to widen and overlay a 900 metre section in 2022-23
- Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road – $299,000 for a minor realignment of lanes
- Mary Street, Coolabunia – $70,000 to provide passenger set-down facilities for Coolabunia State School
- Memerambi-Barkers Creek Road – $432,000 indicative allocation to construct to new sealed two-lane standard in 2022-23
- New England Highway (Yarraman to Toowoomba) – $1.073 million to widen 5km
- Nukku Road and Blackbutt Crows Nest Road intersection – $1.3 million to construct to sealed two-lane standard
- Peterson Drive, Coolabunia – $33,000 to widen and seal a 500 metre section (with allocation of $237,000 in 2020-21)
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There’s some good news for small business – and regional businesses, in particular – in the Budget.
From July, the exemption threshold for payroll tax will be increased for all Queensland businesses from $1.1 million to $1.3 million.
The Treasurer said this would mean 1500 extra businesses would no longer pay any payroll tax.
Regional businesses which employ 85 per cent or more local workers will also receive a payroll tax discount of 1 per cent off the set rate.
However, these cuts will be offset by a higher payroll tax rate for large businesses.
A higher rate of 4.95 per cent payroll tax rate will be introduced for businesses with taxable wages of more than $6.5 million a year. This is expected to affect about 6000 employers.
Companies and trusts will also pay more land tax – up 0.25 per cent – if they own combined landholdings worth more than $5 million.
The absentee land tax surcharge will rise to 2 per cent and will also be extended to foreign companies and trustees of foreign trusts.
Land tax rates will not change for individuals.
A total of $14.8 million has also been allocated to the regional Business Energy Savers Program to help farmers realise energy savings through energy audits and transition support to new tariffs.
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This year’s Budget will record a higher-than-expected surplus of $841 million but the good news won’t be continuing.
The State Government expects to get $2.3 billion less in GST revenue from 2018-19 to 2021-22, and $1 billion less in stamp duty due to the cooling housing market.
To partially offset this, oil and gas companies will face a 2.5 per cent increase in royalties to 12.5 per cent, but coal producers have dodged a bullet with royalty rates to remain the same.
Income from coal royalties has been tipped to drop in 2020-21 alongside a projected dip in coal prices.
Overall, Queensland’s debt has been predicted to hit $90.72 billion by 2022-23.
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