Annual report: Toowoomba Regional Council delivers $15m after spending $200m on local businesses, suppliers

Nearly 50 complaints were received questioning the conduct of both councillors and council officers. The data is part of the organisation's annual report.

Toowoomba City Hall. Picture: Bev Lacey

The Toowoomba Regional Council has delivered its annual report for 2020-21, revealing a large surplus, lower than expected borrowings and a record-breaking local spend.

Councillor and executive wages were highlighted in the new report, along with $213,000 in expenses by the councillors.

Here is your 10-minute guide to the council’s last financial year:

LOCAL BUSINESSES ENJOY RECORD SPEND

A record-breaking $204 million was spent by council at Toowoomba businesses throughout the past the year, as revealed in the organisation’s latest annual report.

The new report, handed down by Mayor Paul Antonio at Tuesday’s meeting, also revealed a $15m surplus that will be spent on new projects in the coming years.

It marks a $21m turnaround for the council, after the impacts of Covid-19 resulted in a $6m deficit in 2019-20.

But Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald pointed to the local expenditure result of 64 per cent as the most remarkable achievement, putting the total figure for 2020-21 at $204m.

It comes after council launched several initiatives and policy changes to ensure Toowoomba region suppliers secured local government tenders for jobs and services.

“We set ourselves a target of 60 per cent (local spend) and we cracked that, and that’s something the council and the community should be proud of,” Mr McDonald said.

“That’s on the back of many years of strong financial, fiscal measures.”

The organisation also met its three key financial targets, designed to ensure the council’s operating budget kept track of asset depreciation as well as its overall liabilities.

MORE DEBT, BUT LESS THAN EXPECTED

The council borrowed an extra $26m from the Queensland Treasury to cover capital projects during the past financial year, but this was significantly down from the $60m it initially said would be needed in the previous budget.

Mr McDonald said this $34m underspend on capital works was mainly due to supply chain issues across the nation, which was causing a backlog of projects.

“Those projects have been deferred in some way because of a variety of reasons, predominantly it’s because of supply chain issues across the nation,” he said.

“That affects the less borrowings, which looks better for us but now those projects are earmarked to be delivered in this financial year.”

MAYOR FLAGS HOW SURPLUS COULD BE SPENT

When asked how the $15m surplus would be spent, Mr Antonio pointed to more funding for the region’s roads.

“Road funding is something we absolutely struggle with — look at the production that’s coming out of this area,” he said.

“The trucks using our roads are not 25-tonne trucks, they’re now carrying 70 tonnes and are triple trailers.”

Mr Antonio said the constraints on councils were a “failure” of successive state and federal governments to recognise the importance of their local counterparts.

“This is another example of local government and the failure to recognise the important role of local government as community builders,” he said.

“We don’t get anywhere near the funding we would normally get in the years gone by, and it’s more difficult to get funding for local government now than before.”

COUNCIL TO LAUNCH RECRUITMENT DRIVE

The council actually delivered the financial result with about 100 less staff than the previous year, with 1680 full-time equivalent workers listed in the report.

As a result, employee wages barely crew from one year to the next, while overall worker benefits actually went down.

Mr McDonald said this was because of Covid-19, with council to launch a massive recruitment drive to fill about 155 vacant positions.

“Of course, through Covid there were quite a few staff who were casual staff, through libraries and pools, and those positions were then made vacant,” he said.

“We’re starting a recruitment drive now, there’s a number of vacancies, about 155 vacancies at the moment, so recruiting is starting.”

Councillor expenses from the Toowoomba Regional Council's annual report for 2020-21.

COUNCILLOR EXPENSES REVEALED

Toowoomba councillors spent more than $213,000 in ratepayer money on council cars, travel, legal fees, accommodation and other expenses during the past financial year.

The new Toowoomba Regional Council annual report for 2020-21 has detailed our elected official’s spending habits, which amount to an average of $19,000 per councillor.

The figures are disclosed in line with requirements of the Local Government Act.

Mayor Paul Antonio, who was the biggest spender by far with $42,000, billed the ratepayer for $12,000 in legal fees, $4700 in travel expenses and another $1900 for accommodation.

Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald spent the second-most at $26,000, including $6600 in legal fees.

The 11 councillors spent $164,000 in local government vehicles, which was offset by $36,000 in payments from each member.

COUNCILLOR, EXECUTIVE BRANCH SALARIES

The annual report also reveals the salaries of both the elected officials and the council’s executive branch, which currently sits at $3.87m.

Mr Antonio’s remuneration including superannuation in 2020-21 cracked $200,000, while Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald was paid $139,000.

The other nine councillors were paid $121,000 each.

While the executive team’s specific wages are hidden, CEO Brian Pidgeon’s annual salary sits between $400,000 and $500,000, while two senior managers are in the $300,000 to $400,000 bracket.

Another six are paid up to $300,000.

NEARLY 50 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED

The annual report also revealed the council received 46 complaints by members of the public regarding the activity of councillors and officers during the past financial year, 38 of which were reviewed.

Fourteen complaints were still unresolved and have been carried over to this financial year.

In relation to complaints against councillors, the report detailed 15 instances in which action was taken.

One order was made in relation to inappropriate conduct, specifically relating to Councillor Nancy Sommerfield.

Nine decisions were made, four notices were issued and with one matter, the council asked another entity to investigate.