{"id":225511,"date":"2018-12-13T21:24:04","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T11:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=225511"},"modified":"2020-07-25T12:50:24","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T02:50:24","slug":"2-25m-boost-for-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/12\/13\/2-25m-boost-for-council\/","title":{"rendered":"$2.25m Boost For Council"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New footpaths built in the South Burnett’s major towns during the past two years have been funded by Works For Queensland grants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 13, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett Regional Council’s budget will receive an extra boost next year after the State Government announced it will fast-track its Works For Queensland grant program.<\/p>\n

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad announced\u00a0the boost on Thursday as part of the State Government\u2019s Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Review.<\/p>\n

“This program has been an incredible success for regional Queensland, building important local infrastructure and supporting more than 12,500 jobs so far,\u201d Ms Trad said.<\/p>\n

“The State Budget allocated $200 million to a third round of Works for Queensland in 2019-21, but the time is right to bring forward $100 million to keep councils building and to keep growing jobs.”<\/p>\n

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the program was very popular with local councils.<\/p>\n

“Regional Queensland loves this program as it brings local people into local jobs to build community infrastructure,” Mr Hinchliffe said.<\/p>\n

“I am delighted we are able to announce the first-half funding allocations for 65 regional councils, setting their communities up with an early Christmas present.”<\/p>\n

The $400 million Works For Queensland program was introduced in January 2017.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Late last year, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promised to put a further $200 million into the program for 2019-21 if her government was re-elected at the November 25 elections.<\/p>\n

Grant allocations are based on location, population and unemployment rates, and Queensland’s 12 largest councils – including Toowoomba – are ineligible to receive funding.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council has so far received almost $9 million from the first two rounds of the Works For Queensland program.<\/p>\n

It stands to receive about $2.25 million from the latest boost, and a similar amount in 2020.<\/p>\n

The Council has used the Works For Queensland money to catch up on a backlog of projects that had been deferred due to budgetary constraints.<\/p>\n

Councils will need to submit their latest list of projects by March 2019, with the infrastructure to be completed by June 2021.<\/p>\n

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