This was published 5 years ago
Labor predicts 'artificially low' rate rise in council budget
By Lucy Stone
Brisbane's Labor councillors are predicting an "artificially low" rate rise in Wednesday's annual budget, the first to be handed down by new LNP lord mayor Adrian Schrinner.
Deputy opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the LNP administration had consistently introduced a low rate rise the year before the council election, before slugging ratepayers with a high hit the year after.
Brisbane's lord mayor Adrian Schrinner will hand down his first budget on Wednesday after taking the role in April.Credit: Brisbane City Council
"We see this from the LNP time after time, whether it was before the 2012 election, before the 2016 election, and now before the 2020 election we can expect an artificially low rate rise to get them over the line," he said.
"After the LNP has been elected the last two times, we've seen extraordinary rate rises in their first post-election budget and I think the people of Brisbane can expect the same this time.
"They're taking some extraordinarily unfunded and uncosted policies to the election."
In the 2011-12 financial year, ratepayers faced a 1.79 per cent rate rise. The year after, post-election, the rate rise was 4.49 per cent.
In 2015-16, rates rose 2.5 per cent, followed by 4.7 per cent in 2016-17, after the council election.
Average rate rises since 2011
Cr Schrinner on Monday would not be drawn on the expected percentage of a rate rise in his first budget while speaking about his policy of free off-peak travel for seniors on Brisbane buses and ferries.
"You'll have to wait until Wednesday to see," he said.
The council plans to pay $3.1 million to the state government, who sets bus fares, to subsidise travel for seniors during off-peak travel times in a bid to encourage higher public transport use.
The pledge will be confirmed in the council's annual budget, to be handed down on Wednesday.
"We'd like to see the state government come on board and help, whether it's through providing the same arrangement for trains or whether it's coming into a partnership with us to get more people on public transport," Cr Schrinner said on Monday.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said she was willing to sit down with the lord mayor to discuss the subsidy for buses, which Cr Schrinner welcomed on Monday.
The plan will be in place by October 1, he said, while the council had to work with TransLink to hammer out the technical details of how the scheme would work with the state's Go Cards.
Cr Schrinner said the $3.1 million cost figure was based on the number of seniors catching public transport during off-peak times.
"We have the data to back this up, ultimately though it shouldn't cost more than the lost revenue to TransLink," he said.
Cr Cassidy said the promise was just a way for the council to woo back senior voters ahead of the council election next year, after slashing water subsidies three years ago.
He said Labor had already called for such a policy three years ago, when the LNP administration said it would cost $14 million.
"I think the LNP's commitment to pensioners and seniors in this city is barely skin-deep. They'll remember just three years ago when this lord mayor reached into their hip pocket and stole $300 worth of water remissions, and now today he's giving them a few free bus tickets," Cr Cassidy said.
"This is quite clearly just window-dressing in the lead-up to an election."
Cr Schrinner dismissed that claim, saying the extra cost was due to the state's bulk water charge.
"We continue to offer Australia's most generous senior discounts on rates, we will continue to do so in the budget on Wednesday, you'll see that continue," he said.
Cr Schrinner said his upcoming budget would invest in infrastructure needed to support Brisbane's population growth, while also supporting local small business.