October 20, 2023
Queensland councils have called on the State Government to address critical funding that is needed statewide for road, water and sewerage infrastructure.
Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) president Mark Jamieson said Queensland councils had voted resoundingly at the LGAQ Annual Conference in Gladstone for extra funding from the State level to address essential road, water and sewerage infrastructure requirements.
“Roads, water and sewerage are the core ingredients of sustainable, viable and liveable communities and the foundations for economic development and social wellbeing,” Mayor Jamieson said.
“Councils cannot address this issue alone, given the financial sustainability challenges that some of our member councils confront every day.
“We welcomed the Premier’s announcement restoring Works for Queensland to $100 million a year over the next three years for the 65 councils outside south-east Queensland, and are delighted this invaluable program enjoys support from the State Opposition.
“But the elephant in the room remains that funding for the economic and social fabric of all Queensland communities – road, water and sewerage infrastructure – is well behind what it needs to be – and has been for a considerable period of time.
“We are now just 12 months from the next State Election and Queensland’s 77 councils are imploring both major parties to step up to the plate and address what is increasingly becoming an insurmountable challenge.
“Put simply, the annual local road funding through the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) has not kept pace with inflation for many years – despite the LGAQ’s persistent calls for this to be addressed.
“While much of the water and sewerage infrastructure across the State – the lifeblood of our communities – is close to or long past its useful asset life.
“This is a problem that both major political parties have been aware of for over a decade and our councils are not asking for anything more than what their communities need and deserve.”
Councils called on the State Government to commit to increasing TIDS, which has not had a meaningful increase since 2015 despite soaring labour and construction costs.
“Construction costs are going up in some areas by as much as 28 per cent per kilometre of road, but TIDS funding has flatlined,” Mayor Jamieson said.
Councils asked the State Government to establish a Sewerage and Water Infrastructure Development Scheme to provide funding to head off the looming infrastructure cliff.
“Subsidies and funding for regional water and sewerage providers need to be reinstated to enable regional councils to maintain ageing assets,” Mayor Jamieson said.
