‘Business as usual’ budget set to sting Cairns ratepayers as cost of living pressures mount

Key election promises have been shredded by Cairns’ mayor with the city’s council set to slug ratepayers with a 6.7 per cent increase as part of its new $669m budget.

Key election promises have been shredded by Cairns’ mayor with the city’s council set to slug ratepayers with a 6.7 per cent increase as part of its new $669m budget.

In her opening remarks in council chambers on Wednesday, Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden laid the blame at the feet of former mayor Bob Manning and Unity councillors for the council’s “high debt and depleted cash reserves”.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden and CEO John Andrejic during an ordinary Council meeting on June 5th. Picture Emily Barker.

But councillors challenged Ms Eden, who was previously elected as a Unity member, on criticism of her predecessors pointing to recent natural disasters and inflation following the global pandemic as significant pressures on the council’s bottom line.

“This is not the budget of my dreams,” the Mayor said.

“It is a business as usual budget and a budget that was 90 per cent developed and locked in by the previous council by the time that we were elected.”

Cairns Regional Council Division 1 councilor Brett Moller didn’t accept Mayor Amy Eden’s appraisal of the Cairns budget. Picture: Brendan Radke

Division 1 councillor Brett Moller said unforeseen circumstances had forced council to tighten its belt, rather than overspending in the past.

“With respect, I don’t agree with the mayor’s comments about the previous council,” Mr Moller said.

“In a situation where we had increasing interest rates, high CPI, we know that the cost of labour and materials for all levels of government projects have blown out.

“What we’re facing in this budget is two huge costing losses in the water security project … and of course the shortfall from Tropical Cyclone Jasper of close to $30m.

“We have to be prudent and responsible … to meet the infrastructure service costs that are expected by our community.”

Creating new roles within the council will be halted and Mayor Eden election commitments, including $1000 rates relief for first home buyers, “$2 Summer Swims” and tiered water pricing have been cut.

“We haven’t allowed for employment growth for the next 12 months,” Ms Eden said.

“We really need to just steady the ship with the staff that we have to do the good work that we do.

But some promises will be honoured, Ms Eden said.

“The e-waste and white waste will be free at the council stations and the policy for if you have to lodge a development application if your home has been damaged in a natural disaster has made it into the budget,” she said.

“We’ll see how many homes come forward.”

Council’s budget press conference abruptly ended when the Mayor refused to answer whether she had been contacted by the Crime and Corruption Commission over lingering conflict of interest concerns.

Originally published as ‘Business as usual’ budget set to sting Cairns ratepayers as cost of living pressures mount