June 17, 2021
Ratepayers in Yarraman and Cooyar will face a general rate increase of 2.5 per cent this year – the same as last year – after Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) handed down its 2021-22 Budget on Wednesday.
Water access fees will also rise by 6.1 per cent.
The increases mean the majority of residential property owners will pay an extra $91 a year – or $1.76 per week – to cover their rates and charges.
The TRC’s $551 million budget is expected to deliver a surplus of $783,000, which will be set aside for future projects.
$187 million of TRC’s revenues will be spent on capital works – down from $215 million last year – and a further $364 million on operational expenses
Almost half of the capital works budget will be spent on infrastructure asset renewal, and the remainder on new projects and upgrades.
Major projects include:
- $82.69 million for roads, bridges, footpaths, bikeways and drainage projects
- $38.52 million for water projects
- $16.31 million for wastewater projects
- $6.19 million for waste services
- $17.22 million for parks and recreation projects
- $22.14 million for community services and facilities, library and cultural services and property services
- $4.03 million for business strategy and operations
In the Yarraman-Cooyar area, major projects slated for the coming year include:
- $3.5 million to upgrade the Yarraman Waste Management Facility
- $3.65 million for pool upgrades at Yarraman, Millmerran and Oakey
The Council will also make $756,000 available for its 2021-22 Community Grants Program, which will be distributed over two grant rounds.
TRC will borrow $12.5 million in the coming year and a further $38 million in 2022-23.
Queensland Treasury Corporation has maintained the council’s credit rating as “sound with a neutral outlook”.
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One significant item not included in TRC’s 2021-22 Budget is the cost of upgrading the spillways at Cressbrook and Cooby dams to meet new safety requirements set by Queensland’s Dam Safety Regulator.
The Council is obliged to complete at least 65 per cent of these upgrades by 2025, and the balance by 2035.
In May, TRC estimated these works could cost $138 million to $182 million and warned that carrying them out could seriously damage its credit rating.
It now estimates the work could cost as much as $203 million.
However, the latest Budget has not set aside any reserves for the project.
On Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald told media the council would need State and Federal Government support to fund the work.
The Council plan to seek this funding in the coming year.
In the South Burnett – where the Council faces an estimated $11.8 million bill to upgrade Gordonbrook Dam’s spillway – the SBRC is expected to defer all borrowings for other projects for 10 years so it can borrow funds to upgrade the spillway.
This decision was discussed during the Council’s Budget deliberations.
If ratified, it means planned upgrades to Murgon’s water treatment plant and Kingaroy’s water supply system would be pushed back until 2030-31.
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