Ratepayer inquiry reveals shocking lack of Bundaberg Council transparency

A ratepayer’s search for costing breakdowns on major projects has revealed what they say is a shocking lack of transparency shown by the Bundaberg council on its biggest expenditures.

Bundaberg council CEO Steve Johnson told the ratepayer she would need to submit a Right to Information request.

A Bundaberg ratepayer’s personal request has revealed the shocking lack of council transparency surrounding major capital works projects as budgets are expected to blow out by millions of dollars.

Following the 2022 announcement of the multimillion-dollar price tag projected for the Regional Aquatic Centre, ratepayer Karen Tulk contacted Bundaberg Regional Council CEO Steve Johnston for a costing breakdown on the redevelopment of Anzac Park and the Regional Aquatic Centre.

She was told the information was not publicly available, and she would need to submit a Right to Information application.

Mrs Tulk called this an “insult” to her rights as a ratepayer and said several other councils across Southeast Queensland were more upfront with funding breakdowns on major works.

“By not providing any more budget information than they legally have to, does that mean the Bundaberg Regional Council ratepayers have to resort to a formal RTI application process to find out where and how their money is being specifically spent?” she said.

“I find this an appalling situation and a slap in the face for residents. Why are these costs hidden?”

Councillor Greg Barnes is among those seeking clarity on council spending, moving at the March 2023 meeting for quarterly reports on the costly Regional Aquatic Centre project to be made public to ratepayers.

He said this was in the interest of “transparency” as the major project valued at more than $70 million continues.

The motion was shot down seven to four, with councillor Bill Trevor stating the project was being overseen by a “quality” project steering group and the Audit and Risk Committee.

He claimed the project was being “scrutinised to death” and spent several minutes listing the names and qualifications of those overseeing it.

He said if anyone was interested in the goings-on of the project they could access the minutes of the Audit and Risk Committee meetings.

These documents are not available to the public outside a general statement tabled at meetings.

The last mention of the pool development in an audit and risk report was at the November 2022 meeting.

Those minutes, dated September 2022, said only that infrastructure manager Stuart Randle “provided a verbal update on the new Aquatic Centre project and the demolition of Anzac Pool project” and another staff “ presented a progress report on the Bundaberg Regional Aquatic facility project”.

Mr Trevor said the council received a monthly finance report which broke down “every item” of the council budget “of which the pool is one”.

Those reports are not published by the council.

“Is it realistic that we think we are going to build a $70m project without any alteration at all?” Mr Trevor said in the meeting.

A council spokeswoman said Wednesday the documents referred to by Mr Trevor were published as part of its monthly meeting packets.

Bundaberg councillor Bill Trevor was the only council member to speak out against the motion. Photo: Mike Knott / NewsMail

This “realistic” change to the final outcome of the cost of the multi million dollar project appears to be at odds with claims by Mayor Jack Dempsey of a “fixed price contract” for the pool.

“Through this construction, council is taking advantage of a low interest rate and a fixed contract price that will benefit the project as a whole,” Mr Dempsey said in November 2022.

The expected costing of the project has changed drastically over the years, and ratepayers are left to scour dozens of inconsistent online records to find out the true numbers.

The 2013 Bundaberg Regional Council Aquatic Facility Feasibility Investigations report stated at the time “the total estimated cost of designing and constructing the Regional Aquatic Center is $25,219,545”.

The 44-page document is no longer available on the council website.

The 2018-2028 Sport and Recreation Strategy said “if a new aquatic facility was developed, preferably, one of the existing facilities would need to be decommissioned”.

No pricing was outlined in the report.

In the 2021/2022 budget the Regional Aquatic Center was listed as part of the $89 million capital budget, with $6.6m allocated.

The 2022/23 council budget states “funds to kickstart the development of the Bundaberg Regional Aquatic Centre and the Anzac Park redevelopment have been included in the 2022-23 budget,” but no specific line item is included.

An anonymous council source has claimed the project has already blown past its $70m budget and has crept into the $100m.

No council document breaks down the expected future costs associated with the ongoing management of the aquatic centre for items such as wages, chemicals, food and beverage, maintenance, gardening or cleaning.

The Bundaberg Aquatic Centre project. Source: Bundaberg Regional Council

Demolition sparks controversy

The Anzac Pool, which was controversially demolished in late 2022 due to the reported issues with structure was listed as “sound” in the 2018 Sport and Recreation Report.

The document suggested an upgrade to the pool, not a demolition, and highlighted it as an “an ideal place for a water park”.

And it was reported in 2022 the council never published any meeting minutes on the official decision to demolish the pool.

Many questions were raised over the process and decisions surrounding the decision to demolish the pool and a 2015 Riverside Masterplan document stated “works to revitalise Anzac Park, in particular the provision of a refurbished pool and water play facility will provide a significant contribution increasing activity within the Riverside”.

Many council documents discussing Anzac Park claimed it was the ideal site for upgrades and a facelift as part of a riverside refurbishment.

No detailed line items for the Anzac Park redevelopment costs were included in the 2022/23 budget.

Demolition on the pool began while a heritage application on the site was being considered, shocking residents.

Right to Information

Mrs Tulk was told she would need to submit a Right to Information application to find out more on the costing breakdown of major council projects.

RTI applications cost at minimum $53.90, with additional costs to be determined after an initial search.

Those costs can sometimes run into the thousands of dollars, depending on the amount of information being sought.

There is no guarantee the documents sought will be released.