ROLLING COVERAGE: Rates freeze in Gladstone Budget 2020/21
Gladstone Regional Council announces the budget for 2020/21.
Gladstone
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UPDATE 11AM:
SUPPLEMENTING the Gladstone Regional Council's budget announcement of a rates freeze for the 2020/21 financial year, key capital project have also been announced.
Mayor Matt Burnett said during these uncertain times, council was focused on building and maintaining capital assets.
Read more HERE.
EARLIER 10.33AM:
GLADSTONE Regional Council will receive $15 million in state and federal government funding for projects in the coming year.
Mayor Matt Burnett said the funding had been allocated for three strategic projects across the region.
Read more HERE.
EARLIER 9.37AM:
The Gladstone Regional Council has handed down its 2020/21 Operational Plan and budget, outlining its priorities over the next 12 months.
Mayor Matt Burnett announced a rates and service charges freeze for residents throughout the 2020/21 financial year.
"This means all ratepayers in rural, residential, commercial and light industrial land categories (Rating Categories 1-16) will not pay more for general rates or service charges than they did last year," Cr Burnett said.
"In order to give effect to the rates freeze, properties that would have otherwise received an increase to the implementation of the rate cap, will receive a Covid-19 concession to reduce their effective general rate to be equivalent to the 2019/20 general rate levy."
The amount of concession will vary between individual properties, but the net impact will be the same for all receiving the concession.
Cr Burnett also outlined freezes in relation to sewerage charges and water access charges.
EARLIER9.15AM: GLADSTONE Regional Council announced it will freeze all rates and charges for 2020/21.
Mayor Matt Burnett said council was focused on helping the community recover from COVID-19.
He said they have been working closely with their recovery committee to ensure a smooth transition into the future.
General rates will not increase across 16 rating sections of Gladstone Regional Council.
More than $650,000 in concessions will be available for ratepayers.
The Gladstone region will benefit from $15 million in state and federal funding in the next 12 months.
INITIAL: GLADSTONE Regional Council is about to deliver it's 2020-21 budget at the Entertainment and Convention Centre.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions only one of the two Gladstone Observer reporters in attendance is permitted to listen to the speech live in the Entertainment and Convention Centre.
The budget announcement will be live streamed to a television outside the centre.
Will rates increase, what major projects does council have planned for the coming year.
The Observer will answer all these questions and more throughout the day.
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