A five-minute guide to the 2021-22 Toowoomba Regional Council budget

Rate rises, a massive surplus and a focus on infrastructure renewal. The council has brought down its latest budget, and it’s packed with details. Here is a five-minute guide.

Delivering the Toowoomba Regional Council budget are (from left) Cr Geoff McDonald, Mayor Paul Antonio and Cr Kerry Shine. Picture: Nev Madsen.

The Toowoomba Regional Council has handed down its 2021-22 budget, which is worth $551m.

The budget includes a rate rise as well as water charges increases but will also fund $180m in capital projects, most of which will go to asset renewal.

Here’s a quick guide to the facts that matter:

RATES, CHARGES INCREASE

Rates and charges will increase by 2.76 per cent for urban residential properties.

The majority of residential ratepayers will pay an extra $91 a year, or $1.76 a week, after discounts, which includes all rates and charges.

The general rate has increased 2.5 per cent, the same as the previous budget.

Water access charges are also going up, with regionally-based residents hit hardest with a 6.1 per cent increase to $523.

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK

The council has announced a relatively large surplus of $783,168, which will be used for extra projects that arrive in the future.

The Queensland Treasury Corporation has maintained the council’s credit rating as “sound with a neutral outlook”.

Budget documents reveal the council will borrow $12.5m in 2021-22, as well as another $38m in 2022-23.

WHAT’S BEING SPENT

The council has reduced its capital works budget for 2021-22 to $187m, down from $215m in the previous financial year.

Nearly half of that budget will be committed to infrastructure asset renewal, with the balance focusing on new and upgrade projects.

The major areas of capital expenditure will include:

• $82.69 million for roads, bridges, footpaths, bikeways and drainage projects

• $38.52 million for water projects

• $16.31 million for wastewater projects

• $6.19 million for waste services

• $17.22 million for parks and recreation projects

• $22.14 million for community services and facilities; library and cultural services and property services

• $4.03 million for business strategy and operations

The council’s operational budget is $364m.

KEY PROJECTS

The council has committed to building a number of high-profile new projects in the upcoming financial year.

Here is a rough guide:

Infrastructure

• $29.9 million committed to renewing infrastructure across the Toowoomba Region

• $3.3 million invested in the Dalby-Nungil Road upgrade

• $2.5 million to continue the Russell Street Urban Renewal Project

• $1.76 million committed to renewing, upgrading and constructing footpaths as part of the Region Wide Footpath Renewal Program

• $1.2 million invested in continuing the CBD Smart Parking Project

• $400,000 in seed funding allocated to planning and development of the region’s Principal Cycle Network.

Water and Waste

• $6.5 million continued investment in the Perseverance Raw Water Main Renewal

• $6.19 million invested in capital projects for waste

• $4.8 million committed to the Highfields trunk water mains project

• $4.8 million allocated to the next stage of the Mt Kynoch Water Treatment Plant upgrade

• $1.1 million for the Crows Nest Wastewater Treatment Plant

• $3.5 million committed to upgrade the Yarraman Waste Management Facility

• $1.5 million for Stage 2 of the Toowoomba Waste Management Centre (TWMC) vertical expansion.

Environment and Community

• $3.8 million for the Toowoomba RSL Soldiers’ Memorial Hall Upgrade

• $1.9 million for the Rockville Park Clubhouse amenities replacement

• $3.65 million for pool upgrades at Millmerran, Yarraman and Oakey

• $756,000 for the Community Grants Program: for two community grant rounds in the year

• $2.4 million for the Final Stage of the Queens Park Master Plan Upgrade

• $8.79 million to complete the new Highfields Library

• Upgrades for Carla Crescent Park in Westbrook ($250,000), Lions Park in Hodgson Vale ($305,000) and Pioneer Park in Goombungee ($729,000).

Originally published as A five-minute guide to the 2021-22 Toowoomba Regional Council budget