Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Date: August 20th, 2008 Filed: Media Releases

The Cassowary Coast Regional Council has embarked upon two mammoth tasks in its first budget – the allocation of funding for a massive capital works program to upgrade or replace essential infrastructure across the region, and the integration of the two rating systems previously administered by the Johnstone and Cardwell Shire Councils.

“The council has adopted a responsible budget that focuses on the fundamentals – in terms of both expenditure and revenue collection,” said Cassowary Coast Mayor, Bill Shannon.”The budget provides for a small surplus, after allowing for operating expenses and capital projects.

“The capital works program requires $29 million to upgrade essential services, including water, sewerage, waste management and road works, in order to meet the needs of residents and fulfil the requirements of new State Government policies,” he said.

“We are also taking the first steps towards integrating the two differential council ratings systems by adopting uniform ratings categories across the region. We are required to undertake this task as part of the transition process for newly amalgamated councils.”

Cr. Shannon said the new uniform ratings categories were more equitable.

“Commercial ratings categories, introduced by the former Johnstone Shire in the 2007/2008 financial year, demonstrated an equitable way to apply rating categories to businesses,” he said.

“The council has resolved to implement a similar structure across the whole Cassowary Coast, including the former Cardwell Shire, which did not have this type of category and previously placed commercial properties in a category titled ‘Other’.”

The rating categories across the Cassowary Coast Region are: residential, commercial, industry, major shopping centres, multi-units, mills, forestry, primary production and island resorts.

Prior to the amalgamation, the rating categories for each council were as follows: Johnstone Shire – residential, multi-unit, primary production, commercial, industry and shopping centre; and Cardwell Shire – residential, primary production, forestry, island resorts, hospitality and other.

Cr Shannon said residential rates would rise by an average of seven percent to keep pace with increasing costs associated with maintaining council services, including soaring fuel prices and higher building and labour costs.

“The rate increase will be slightly higher for residents in the former Johnstone Shire to incorporate the new 15 percent discount available to rate payers who pay their rates by the due date,” he said. (Johnstone Shire residents previously received a 10 percent discount, while Cardwell Shire residents obtained a 15 percent discount.)

Commercial properties – including those in the former Cardwell Shire, which have now been re-categorised as commercial, industry or major shops – will be charged a new rate in the dollar (RID).

Cr Shannon acknowledged that the rates increases would not be welcome.

“However, residents have to be prepared to shoulder higher fees and charges, in order to allow the council to meet all the infrastructure requirements necessary to ensure this region can move forward, both economically and socially,” he said.

“Rate payers will only be expected to pay higher charges for improvements to water, sewerage and waste management services in their own area – improvements which will be of direct benefit to them.

“Where possible, we will also be seeking assistance from the Queensland Government, in the form of increased water and sewerage infrastructure subsidies to council to meet infrastructure renewal and upgrading requirements.

“But we have to be prepared to demonstrate that we are willing to pull our weight, as well,” Cr Shannon said.

Capital works budget for essential services

Water

$4.7 million in total, including:

• $1.49 million – preliminary works for upgrading of Innisfail water treatment plant
• $200,000 – site acquisition and preliminary work for establishment of a reservoir at Wongaling Beach
• $40,000 – study into the potential benefits of combining the water supply systems for the whole beach area (at present, the water supplies are divided according to former Cardwell and Johnstone Shire boundaries
• $2 million – installation of pipe to augment water delivery system to Innisfail
• $300,000 – upgrade of Church Street Resevoir, Innisfail
• $50,000 – establishment of small main linking North and South Mission Beaches to provide emergency water supply
• $68,000 – establishment of main to link rural and Tully water supply systems through the Tully bypass road

Sewerage

$5.4 million in total, including:

• $1 million – initial planning for upgrade of Innisfail sewage treatment plant
• $1 million – preliminary work on Cardwell Sewerage Scheme (which has also received a $15.2 million State Government subsidy under the Smaller Communities Assistance Program
• $2.1 million to rebuild/replace two pump stations at Innisfail Sewerage Scheme

Waste management

$1.2 million – environmental remediation (”capping”) of landfill site at Goondi Bend

Transport

$7.25 million in total, including

• $2.3 million – sealed road rehabilitation program
• $1.3 million – sealed road improvement plan
• $0.72 million – unsealed road improvement program
• $2.2 million – bridge program, including replacement of Maccarones Bridge
• $33,000 – footpath and cycleway program, including Cassowary Drive footpath

Other capital works expenditure

$3 million – completion of restoration work on Heritage-listed Innisfail Shire Hall

$180,000 – completion of Cardwell Museum Library Complex

$350,000 – towards completion of the new multi-purpose centre at Tully. (Bringing total council commitment, to date, to $1 million of the $1.4 million promised over a three-year period.)

$245,000 – completion of new headquarters for Innisfail SES

$70,000 – completion of an SES shed at Mission Beach

For further information, CCRC Communications Officer, Jude Ridinsky:

Mobile: 0417 721 754
Home: 07 4068 5711
Fax: 07 4068 1772
Email: Email Council