Fraser Coast Council to vote on annual rural fire bridge, Lifeflight contributions

The Fraser Coast council will vote on delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars to emergency service providers and it comes as it waived $122k in landing fees for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The Fraser Coast council is set to vote on a motion that could see it contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to emergency service providers.

The Fraser Coast council is set to vote on a motion that could see it contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to emergency service providers.

The motion will come before the council during its next meeting on August 28 in Maryborough, with a recommendation to enter into contribution agreements with Rural Fire Service Queensland and LifeFlight to provide funding for the 2024-25 financial year, supporting operating costs for the rural fire brigades within the Fraser Coast Regional Council area and the local Lifeflight operations.

It was recommended that the council provide Queensland Fire Department on behalf of the 28 rural fire brigades operating in the Fraser Coast region for the 2024-25 financial year with a contribution of $260,000.

In addition, a contribution to LifeFlight for the financial year of $30,000 was recommended.

It was recommended that the council provide Queensland Fire Department on behalf of the 28 rural fire brigades operating in the Fraser Coast region for the 2024-25 financial year with a contribution of $260,000.

“Historically, council raised funding for the Rural Fire Brigades through a Rural Fire Levy Special Charge,” the report read.

“A Rural Fire Working Group was formed in 2019 with an aim to better distribute funding to ensure the Rural Fire Brigades remain operational in the future,” the report read.

“After consultation with various stakeholders, it was determined that a contribution arrangement with council would be the preferred option and council entered into an agreement to provide funding for the periods 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 for the respective amounts of $330,000, $332,500, and $335,000 and council ceased levying the special charge for the Rural Fire Levy.

“During council’s current year budget development, it was determined to include a further one-year contribution for $260,000 for the 2024/25 year and to provide funding to LifeFlight for a one-year contribution for $30,000 for the 2024/25 year.”

The council announced it would waive more than $122,000 in landing fees for the Royal Flying Doctor Service at the Maryborough and Hervey Bay airports, Â a significant increase from last year when FCRC waived $66,000.

 The report said in addition to those funds, $45,000 in unallocated disaster management levy funds would remain available for the council to grant further contributions of this nature in the 2024/25 financial year.

“As part of the 2024/25 Budget the disaster management levy has been increased from an annual levy of $27 to $27.90 for all rateable properties in the Fraser Coast Regional Council area, to raise sufficient revenue to fund both the Rural Fire Brigades $260,000 and the Lifeflight $30,000 contributions,” the report read.

The council will vote on the motion next week.

It comes as the council announced it would waive more than $122,000 in landing fees for the Royal Flying Doctor Service at the Maryborough and Hervey Bay airports, a significant increase from last year when FCRC waived $66,000.

Demand for the RFDS across the Fraser Coast continues to grow with an 11 per cent increase in services from the previous year.

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Originally published as Fraser Coast Council to vote on annual rural fire bridge, Lifeflight contributions