Goondiwindi Regional Council Mayor Lawrence Springborg welcomes latest debt-free budget

Delivering their budget for 2021-22, Goondiwindi Regional Council announced it will remain debt free, with the mayor describing the result as a ‘remarkable achievement’.

Goondiwindi Regional Council Mayor Lawrence Springborg has called the council’s debt-free position in their latest budget a “remarkable achievement”.

Goondiwindi Regional Council has released their budget for 2021-22, with Mayor Lawrence Springbork declaring the council’s debt-free position a “remarkable achievement”.

The council’s budget reveals a total operational expenditure for 2021-22 will be $38.8 million, with a capital expenditure of $17.3 million.

“This budget is one that I believe will provide sensible direction for the Goondiwindi region into the future, while providing the scope our region needs to grow and enough opportunity to capitalise on improved seasons and more optimistic investment conditions,” Mr Springborg said.

“Once again, Goondiwindi Regional Council will remain debt-free for the 2021-22 financial year – this is a remarkable achievement and we are one of very few councils in Queensland in this favourable position.

“We were recognised by the Queensland Audit Office just last month as one of just a few councils in the state it considers to be currently financially sustainable in all areas of operating surplus, financial liabilities and asset sustainability.

“However, we are not immune to rising costs or increasing community expectations and it is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to balance all of this while keeping rate increases to a minimum.”

Mr Springborg said council can concentrate on our core responsibility of service delivery, especially in the wake of the region officially being declared drought-free for the first time since 2014.

“In line with community requests, I’m pleased to say that this budget will allow council to maintain its operational funds at their current levels and even expand its services in certain areas,” he said.

“It will also provide for continued investment in our region’s vast network of public infrastructure, such as the current work in Inglewood to establish an additional underground water supply.

“Council has invested significantly in the water supply assets of every single town in the region in the past few years, with the result that the security of our supply is now the envy of other Darling Downs councils.”

Mr Springborg said a key feature of this year’s capital expense will be $5.6 million to restore the council roads affected by the 2020 floods – this figure is likely to increase even more as detailed assessments are completed by the state.

A further $6.7 million of capital funds will go to rehabilitating, resealing and re-sheeting council roads across the region.

“Council will allocate $5.4 million to water and sewerage operations, nearly $2 million to maintaining and upgrading parks and gardens across the region, and just over $1 million to the operation of our libraries, civic centres, museums and the Goondiwindi Cinema and Theatre. Nearly $1 million will go to our rural services,” he said.

“Council has secured $13.6 million in supplementary external funding from the state and federal governments. This money will be put towards road, water and community infrastructure projects in the Goondiwindi Region, such as constructing new footpaths and improving local parks. This has helped to secure and create more local jobs in the region.”