Scenic Rim Council adopts $103.2 million 2022-23 Budget

Scenic Rim Regional Council today adopted its 2022-2023 Budget at a Special Meeting in Beaudesert, announcing total expenditure of $103.2 million for the coming financial year. 

The expenditure represents an increase of $1.3 million from the previous year, which brings the budget back in line with previous years. 

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said that the budget has been shaped by a number of significant challenges in the region, particularly the need for extensive repairs to the road network after severe flooding, and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, which continued to hamper day-to-day operations for Council's suppliers and employees. 

"A $34 million capital works program will support our commitment to the recovery of infrastructure, repeatedly damaged since the end of 2021 as a result of impacts from significant rain events," he said. 

"$31.54 million has been allocated for the essential upgrade and repairs of roads and bridges, which represents an ongoing investment in a well maintained, safe and interconnected transport network to serve our growing population as well as visitors to the region. 

"Of this $31.54 million, $11.45 million is dedicated to road and bridge maintenance, $9.21 million to the upgrade and repair of bridges and $10.88 million to capital expenditure on roads." 

Mayor Christensen said that key projects would include the rehabilitation of Hinchcliffe Bridge in Kooralbyn, Kengoon Bridge north of Kalbar, significant works on Kerry Road, significant roadworks at Veresdale Scrub Road at Gleneagle, as well as almost 400 road reseal projects across the region. 

He noted that by the end of the financial year, the number of timber bridges across the regional network would be 54, down from 97 in 2011. 

"This Budget also includes an allocation of more than $800,000 for drainage improvements to alleviate historical issues which have impacted the growth potential of key centres and had significant impacts on businesses. Kalbar and Beaudesert drainage projects will account for $609,000 of this allocation, while a further $191,760 will be allocated to other drainage works across the region," Mayor Christensen said.

"These works are in line with Council's commitment to the shared Community Plan vision for an accessible and serviced region." 

More than half a million dollars has been allocated towards a series of new footpath works in urban and peri-urban locations across the region to increase accessibility, as well as minor works to maintain established footpaths. 

$4.01 million is scheduled for landscape maintenance and the upkeep of parks and gardens, and capital expenditure on a broad array of projects including repairs to a community centre, improvements to a caravan park, new picnic shelters, a new shade structure, water infrastructure, lighting upgrades, effluent disposal areas, playground updates and CCTV, lighting and resurfacing of internal roads at Council's waste transfer stations. 

Mayor Christensen said that Council was grateful for the co-investment from both the Queensland and Australian governments, which collectively are contributing $14.2 million for both operational and capital projects. 

"Council continues to achieve success in accessing funding through grant programs, which enables us to deliver important projects for our community, while reducing the impact on our general revenue," he said. 

Mayor Christensen said that Scenic Rim ratepayers had been spared major rate increases in 2022-2023, despite a 24.9 per cent overall increase in property valuations from the Queensland Valuer-General.   

Council is continuing the averaging of valuation changes over a two year period, and has also made a further step change to the community infrastructure charge, applicable to each rateable property, increasing it by $53, from $447 to $500 per rateable property.   

The combined general rates and community infrastructure charge will rise by four per cent (with early payment discount) which Mayor Christensen said is one of the lowest increases by any Council in South-east Queensland. 

"This equates to a minimum increase of $63.45 annually ($1.22 a week) for the average principal place of residence and $68.20 annually ($1.31 a week) for rural residences," he said. 

Mayor Christensen said that Council had carefully considered the implications of new property valuations in its budget deliberations so that it could deliver a budget that had minimal financial pressure on the community.  

"As a region that is highly reliant on our own sources of revenue through rates and charges, satisfying the community's expectations in relation to infrastructure, whilst fulfilling our legislative, asset and financial sustainability obligations, is very challenging,"  he said. 

"We believe that the rates increase in this budget is a fair amount for Council to continue providing quality services to the community, particularly at a time when inflationary pressures on Council's costs are at high levels." 

Mayor Christensen said the budget also provided for an increase in investment in community organisations, through a boost to funding for community grants of more than 35 per cent, to $400,000 (up from $295,000 in 2021-2022). 

"This acknowledges the value of supporting grassroots community and not-for-profit groups, as well as sporting and recreational organisations that contribute significantly to the lifestyle and liveability enjoyed in the Scenic Rim," he said.

Funding for Council's Environmental Grants Program has also been boosted from $100,000 to $150,000. 

"These important environmental grants help preserve and enhance the region's natural values, and in prior years have helped members of our community to enhance habitat, restore buffers to creeks, revegetate, develop corridors for wildlife and control environmental weeds," Mayor Christensen said. 

Mayor Christensen said that the 2022-2023 budget was a fiscally responsible budget based on robust planning and analysis, a strategic approach to service delivery and good governance.  

"It allows for pertinent and important service delivery, significant support initiatives and a strong forward-focused infrastructure program that will support ongoing economic and sustainable growth, drive prosperity and generate employment so that our communities can move forward strongly, and together." 

A copy of the Scenic Rim Regional Council 2022-2023 Community Budget Report is available for downloading from Council's website: https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/2022-2023-budget