{"id":264447,"date":"2020-07-15T12:15:58","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T02:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=264447"},"modified":"2020-07-17T20:24:55","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T10:24:55","slug":"councils-zero-rise-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/07\/15\/councils-zero-rise-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Council’s ‘Zero Rise’ Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto handed down his first Council Budget on Wednesday morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 15, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most South Burnett ratepayers will pay no more for their general rates in 2020-21 – although some charges will rise.<\/p>\n

This was the good news in South Burnett Regional Council’s annual Budget handed down on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

However, property owners who received large increases in their land valuation prior to last year’s Budget will see their individual rates bills go up.<\/p>\n

These landholders are midway through a three-year process adopted by the previous Council to ease in rises that followed on from the Valuer-General’s reassessment of their property values.<\/p>\n

This increased Council income will be balanced across total rates by valuation decreases and other adjustments in the “rate in the dollar”.<\/p>\n

Mayor Brett Otto told Wednesday’s Budget meeting that overall, Council’s rates income would remain the same as the last Budget except for any new ratepayers that came on stream (via subdivisions etc).<\/p>\n

This zero increase in the general rate means\u00a0Council will be forgoing $1.4 million in revenue.<\/p>\n

Savings had been achieved by across-the-board cuts to project budgets and a decision not to fill some positions in the coming 12 months that had become vacant through natural attrition.<\/p>\n

The “zero increase” position troubled several councillors who expressed concerns in their Budget speeches.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deputy Mayor Gavin Jones, in particular, expressed fears the zero rise in Council’s rates revenue would inevitably end up in lesser services to the community.<\/p>\n

The Budget meeting committed to a December review of Council’s financial position as well as a review of differential rating categories and Council’s asset holdings.<\/p>\n

While most basic rates will remain the same as last year, several charges will be rising.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There will be a $12 increase in the Waste Management Levy (up from $150.50 to $162.50 per year) and a $1 rise in the Community Rescue and Evacuation Levy (up from $4 to $5 per year).<\/p>\n

Annual water access charges will also rise by $12.50 (up from $611.50 to $624 per year) and the basic Tier 1 water consumption charge will increase 3c per kilolitre (up from $80.08 to $81.64 per year for an average 52kl usage).<\/p>\n

Sewerage charges will rise by an average $14.30 for a first pedestal (up from $724.70 to $739 per year) and a waste collection service will cost an extra $3 per year (up from $165 to $168).<\/p>\n

These increases will add an average $44 to most residential rates bills where ratepayers receive a waste collection service, water and sewerage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, residents connected to the Proston Rural Water Supply Scheme will only pay an extra $36.56 in 2020-21 because that scheme uses untreated (ie. non-potable) water.<\/p>\n

Residents on rural or rural residential blocks who do not receive water, sewerage or waste collection services will be limited to a $13 annual rise to cover levy increases.<\/p>\n

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South Burnett Regional Council is planning a number of major upgrades across the region . . .<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where It’s Going (2020-23)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Budget predicts Council will receive $50.092m in rates, levies and charges in the 2020-21 financial year, rising to $51.633m in 2021-22 and $53.230m in 2022-23.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Capital works spending on buildings is predicted to blow out in 2021-22 from $5.825m per year in 2020-21 to $11.849m – including $10.5m for a major refurbishment of the Kingaroy swimming pool complex – before dropping back to $1.432m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

A reserve of $500,000 has also been set aside in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 budgets for the Kingaroy Pool project plus $250,000 for concept plans.<\/p>\n

Spending on water infrastructure is tipped to rise from $3m in 2020-21 to $8.785m in 2021-22 – including $5m to build two new reservoirs for Kingaroy and $1.2m for a new reservoir at Proston – before dropping back to $1.19m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

Council plans to borrow $5m from Treasury in 2021-22 for the Kingaroy water infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Another major project budgeted for is safety upgrades at Gordonbrook Dam.<\/p>\n

This upgrade – which will require another State Government loan – won’t increase the overall volume of the dam but will improve spillway capacity to prevent dam failure during extreme floods, ie. a 1-in-10,000 year event, as required by legislation.<\/p>\n

Council has budgeted for additional Treasury borrowings of $11.8m in 2022-23 for the Gordonbrook project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spending on sewerage assets has been set at $3.735m for 2020-21, dropping to $1.895m in 2021-22 before lifting again to $4.632m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

However, Council’s forward projections predict a substantial decrease in capital works spending on roads after 2020-21, returning spending to levels prior to the current renewal program.<\/p>\n

More than $22.523 million has been budgeted for roads in 2020-21, dropping to $10.128m in 2021-22 and $10.455m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

Funding for gravel resheeting will drop from $4.069m in 2020-21 to $3.709m in 2022-23; but the biggest changes are projected in the bitumen resealing \/ rehabilitation budget: $15.570m in 2020-21 drops to $6.253m in 2021-22 and $6.542m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

Good news for motorists is a proposal to install a roundabout at the troubled Knight Street intersection in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

Council is also planning to take out a $15m loan in 2025-26 to replace the Murgon Wastewater Treatment Facility, which is reaching the end of its useful life, taking Council’s projected additional borrowings over the next 10 years to $31.8 million.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Replacement of plant and vehicles is budgeted at $2.315m in 2020-21, rising to $2.657m in 2021-22 and $2.685m in 2022-23.<\/p>\n

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Budget Highlights<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Highlights across 2020-21 include:<\/strong><\/p>\n