Community feedback valuable in framing Council's budget

A report on the budget community consultation, which was conducted in face-to-face sessions and online via the Let's Talk Scenic Rim platform in May, was tabled at a Special Meeting this week attended by nine community members who accepted Council's invitation to present their submissions.

Scenic Rim Mayor Tom Sharp said the consultation had enabled Council to review its priorities and finetune the budget to ensure it aligned with community expectations.

"The community consultation and engagement has been limited between the swearing in of the new Council in April to conducting the consultation in May prior to the adoption of the budget in June," he said.

"It was encouraging to see that, despite the shortened consultation period, there were some 31 respondents to the survey which was comparable to last year's lengthier budget consultation.

"Gathering community feedback has been a valuable process and Council is grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their ideas on what matters most to them."

Council asked participants in the community consultation to rate its services, with the survey results showing the community's priorities in order of importance as:

• Transport Infrastructure Network
• Council and Public Facilities Maintenance
• Parks, Recreational Spaces and Cemeteries
• Disaster Management
• Planning and Development
• Regulatory and Environmental Services
• Community Development and Cultural Services
• Economic Development and Regional Events, and
• Library Services.

"Clearly, the local transport infrastructure network is a top priority for our community and this is reflected in our 2024-2025 Budget which has focused on consolidating infrastructure programs and community services," Cr Sharp said.

"Council's vast network of local transport infrastructure includes more than 1,750 kilometres of local roads and 130 bridges, of which more than half are traditional timber structures requiring ongoing maintenance or replacement.

"The Scenic Rim's economy, which is underpinned by agriculture and tourism, depends on modern and reliable local transport infrastructure for businesses, our residents and an ever-increasing number of visitors to our region."

Other key service priorities identified during the community consultation were Council and public facilities maintenance as well as parks, recreational spaces and cemeteries.

"Over the next 12 months, Council will continue to engage with the community to ensure our priorities align with ratepayers' needs," Cr Sharp said.