Brisbane City Council budget slashed by $500m, opposition claims neglect

Brisbane City Council has been accused of giving up on basic service delivery as Adrian Schrinner slashes the budget by half a billion dollars. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner

Almost half a billion dollars has been cut from Brisbane City Council’s budget, as Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner delivers a major surplus and the prospect of lower rates and debt.

But the Opposition has claimed this is coming at the expense of keeping key staff and maintaining public assets.

Mr Schrinner was unapologetic on the austerity, saying Brisbane was on track to save 10 per cent of the money it made and log a surplus, while Logan’s $1.2bn budget was now down to a wafer-thin $1m surplus.

He said a surplus was crucial to dealing with unexpected events such as ex-cyclone Alfred.

“We were upfront before the election about our approach,” he said.

“If you don’t reduce your spending in a time of high inflation all you do is put upward pressure on rates and force the cost on future years.

“Labor went to the election with $3.5bn in uncosted policies that would have seen a 20 per cent increase in rates.”

The March budget review showed council’s net debt was on track to decrease 7.7 per cent between 2024-25 and 2027-28 to about $3.7bn.

Spending has plummeted by almost $470m, with 89 per cent now in the suburbs.

Council’s Labor opposition leader Jared Cassidy accused the administration of clever accounting, particularly shifting $370m in infrastructure spending so far this year to depreciation and amortisation.

“They’ve given up on basic service delivery in the suburbs,” he said.

“Community assets from the 2022 floods are still unrepaired.

“The money they should be spending on things like footpaths has been reallocated or delayed or just cut.”

Council opposition leader Jared Cassidy

He said just one example was the Beams Rd upgrade on the city’s northside, where a key intersection upgrade had been scrapped.

Labor Calamvale councillor Emily Kim said there were a string of basic infrastructure projects in her southside ward that were awaiting approval, and repairs to parks and other facilities dragged on.

She held up a chunk of bitumen as evidence, saying a resident brought it into her office to show the state of a local road.

“I wish I could table it,” she joked.

But LNP infrastructure chair Andrew Wines said the wettest year since 1974 had delayed many projects, as bitumen needed dry conditions to cure.

Flood mitigation was also backdated to the end of the year to avoid the rainy season.

LNP transport chair Ryan Murphy said despite the frugal spending the first stage of Metro had been delivered, along with other transport improvements.

Council added that by reducing borrowings and using working capital instead ratepayers have saved more than $12m in interest costs in 2022 alone.

“We have kept our budget balanced and ensured Brisbane owner-occupiers pay the cheapest residential rates in South East Queensland,” Mr Schrinner said.

“Our track record of strong financial management continues to deliver a balanced budget and a strong credit rating.

“We are on track to reduce net debt from next year which is in stark contrast to other levels of government where it is expected to increase up to 292 per cent.

“We will continue to make sensible savings to balance the budget, spend within our means and keep downward pressure on rates.”