Toowoomba Regional Council reveals current expenditure of $50m COVID-19 stimulus fund

The Toowoomba Regional Council has been updated on the current expenditure of its $50 million pandemic response stimulus program, which was announced in last year’s budget.

Toowoomba City Hall.

The Toowoomba Regional Council has spent less than two fifths of its $50 million pandemic response stimulus program, according to new budget data.

Finance and business strategy acting general manager Ann-Marie Johnston revealed the spending status as of January 31 for the special capital works program at this week’s ordinary meeting, with $8.7 million already spent and another $9 million committed in upcoming projects.

The program was announced at last year’s budget as a way of helping the region respond to the economic pressures of COVID-19, with 90 per cent of work delivered by local suppliers.

Ms Johnston said the current amount already delivered represented a $2.4 million variance between the actual spend and the budgeted year-to-date amount.

“With the pandemic response, about 17 per cent of the budget has been delivered, so there is $8.7m there, but we know there is another $9 million in commitments,” she said.

“We have an information session scheduled for tomorrow morning about every project and the commitments and actuals of them.

“That report will lead into budget review two, and will inform about our capital works program going forward.”

More than 60 projects are listed in the pandemic response program, with $11.8 million allocated to new works, $26 million allocated to infrastructure renewals and $12.2 million allocated to upgrades.

Overall, the council has spent more than $80 million on capital investment in the 2020-21 financial year, about $4 million less than was currently budgeted for this point.

The council will hold its second budget review in the coming months.