Ratepayers should not have to subsidise developers: Pisasale

IPSWICH Mayor Paul Pisasale said there needs to be a three-level government approach to look at how essential infrastructure is funded in the future.

Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale unveiled the 2013-2014 budget at Riverlink on Wednesday. Photo: Rob Williams / The Queensland Times. Picture: Rob Williams

IPSWICH Mayor Paul Pisasale said there needs to be a three-level government approach to look at how essential infrastructure is funded in the future in communities across the state.

Cr Pisasale, who was speaking at an Urban Development Institute of Australia breakfast in Brisbane on Friday, said councils needed to protect their ratepayers from having to subsidise developments in their communities.

One of the hot topics of discussion at the breakfast surrounded the State Government's newly-introduced infrastructure charge reforms.

Currently there is a maximum cap councils can charge for infrastructure on new developments, but council across the state claim that by limiting the amount they can charge developers for infrastructure like water, sewerage, storm water, roads and parks will restrict their capacity to provide it in the future.

"What has been happening is councils only collect 4% of rates and charges, the State Government 16% and the Federal Government 80%," Cr Pisasale said.

"Key infrastructure items that everyone is fighting over is causing us all so must angst.

"That leaves us in the situation where we really have to look at the modelling of infrastructure from a three level approach."

Cr Pisasale told more than 200 business and industry leaders that Ipswich was well placed to take pressure off Brisbane in a lot of areas.

"Our plan is to increase residential and industrial," he said.

"What we want is to create a family environment that developers know they can come into and create communities there."