Philip St Precinct vote backed by region's Mayor

GLADSTONE Mayor Matt Burnett has backed the council's decision to move ahead with Philip St Precinct project, despite the first stage costing more than expected

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett. . Picture: Matt Taylor GLA280218NRL

GLADSTONE Mayor Matt Burnett has backed the council's decision to move ahead with the Philip St Precinct project, despite the first stage costing more than expected.

The council voted four to three in favour of the health hub although it requires extra funding of about $5million.

Cr Burnett said he would have voted in favour of adding the extra funds needed.

"It's an Australia-first facility and if we do this well I'm sure you'll start to see Brisbane and Sydney doing similar projects," he said.

"I'm glad they voted that way. Had I been there I would have voted for it too."

Cr Burnett said the increased budget was for contingency and infrastructure costs - some of which would not need to be paid because they were council fees.

He said he would have made that clear to councillors if he had been at Tuesday's meeting

Cr Burnett said the funds would be allocated in the budget in three years, which would give him time to lobby for more grants from the state and federal governments and other funding bodies.

He said once built, the centre would save council's community services money on rent, meaning the grants and funds they receive could be spent on services.

The vote had to happen before Thursday, which was the deadline the council had to commit to the first stage of the project to be eligible for some Federal Government funding.

Tegan Annett