Toowoomba Regional Council’s First Budget: The big pictureToowoomba Regional Council’s First Budget: The big picture

A $290 million budget has been delivered by the new Toowoomba Regional Council with roads and water the biggest items costing almost $24million each.

Rates, fees and charges across the eight previous shires will be standardised in the new regional council.

The 2008/2009 budget did not include any provision for funding of the Wivenhoe pipeline. Pipeline costs will be in future budgets.
Rates: Rates over the new super shire have risen 7% overall with property owners facing rates rises of around $200 compared with last year.
Rates will increase less than 10% for more than 90 percent of ratepayers in the region.

All pensioners in the region will be given a rate rebate of $95 in addition to the State Government rebate of $180.

Water and waste water:
Water operations & infrastructure maintenance $23.8 million
Wastewater operations & infrastructure maintenance $16.9 million
Ratepayers in all eight previous shires will now pay the same costs for water and sewerage services.

Council has allocated $684,000 to meet the legislative requirements of the new Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 passed by State Parliament this year.

The new Act requires council to produce drinking water quality management plans and recycled water management plans for all the region’s water supply schemes.
$12m has been allocated to complete the Advanced Water Treatment Plant at Wetalla which, when completed in early 2009, will supply 3,000 megalitres (ML) per year of recycled water to the New Acland Coal Mine. This plant is expected to generate revenue of $3m to $5m per year.

Western Regional Reclamation Facility at Westbrook: $14m project to construct a water treatment plant to service the Charlton Wellcamp industrial estate and Westbrook.

Council has allocated $750,000 for the design of the Kingsthorpe/Gowrie Junction and Goombungee sewerage projects estimated to cost $25m over the next three years with the State Government contributing $18.3m.

$520,000 has been budgeted this year for the construction of a new reservoir at Cambooya.

$343,000 will be spent to complete the $2m Clifton water upgrade, a new reservoir, three new bores and a high lift pumping station.

$220,000 has been allocated for a water treatment plant at Pittsworth to treat water from Yarranlea bore for use in Pittsworth township.

$6.7m upgrade of the Mt Kynoch Treatment Plant over three years to increase the capacity of the plant from 60 ML/day to 85ML/day.
$17m Great Artesian Basin bore program will continue
$596,400 to the water rebate program with an additional $55,000 earmarked for expansion of the program into district service centres for water saving devices plus the retrofitting of existing rainwater tanks to internal plumbing, the installation of pressure reduction devices and the replacement of single flush toilets with a 4.5 litre/3 litre dual flush toilet
Just over $1million will be spent on advertising campaigns to save water.

Roads – maintenance & upgr $23.9 million

Major projects for the coming year:
$3 million to complete the Crows Nest Community Centre (Community Hub)
$800,000 Stage 2 of the GlenKerr Industrial Estate at Highfields
$750,000 preparation works for lengthening the Toowoomba aerodrome runway and taxiways
$669,000 works at Boundary Street south, Toowoomba
$640,000 Stage 2 of the Kearneys Spring carpark in Toowoomba
$600,000 pool upgrade works at Yarraman, Toowoomba and Oakey
$493,000 upgrade the Taylor/West streets intersection (Toowoomba)
$389,000 roadworks on the Oakey-Kelvinaugh Road
$385,000 upgrading rural roads at Clifton
$288,000 Pittsworth business district improvements
$270,000 Millmerran business district improvements
$220,000 Stage 3 roadworks at Eton Vale Road, Greenmount
$218,000 upgrade work on the Cecil Plains to Moonie road
Parks & open space $13.4 million

Toowoomba City Council’s annual free plant giveaway has been extended to all ratepayers in the region.


Library services $ 4.2 million
$783,436 to the purchase of library books and materials across the region.

$130,000 for an integrated software management system so library customers can borrow from all libraries using one card and return borrowed items to their nearest or most convenient library.

Development assessment $ 4.2 million
new online application services
new application fee structure across the whole shire

Sporting facilities $ 2.9 million
$75,000 towards a $150,000 state sports tourism initiative to attract tourism through hosting sporting events in the region.
$10,000 for a community celebration marking Queensland’s 150th birthday in 2009.
Strategic/Regional planning $ 2.3 million
Procurement and tender processes will be streamlined in the new Procurement and Trade Services Branch. This branch will oversee $10m in capital expenditure on fleet and plant replacement and $3.8m on fuel.
Completion of the TOOWOOMBA 2050 project action planning phase will be complemented by the extension of the community planning process across the region.

$180,000 to implement the ACTION 2050 project across the region by the end of 2009.

Council climate change strategy - ongoing infrastructure planning project in conjunction with USQ
$15,000 air services business survey to be conducted to determine the potential for attracting commercial flights to Toowoomba Aerodrome plus upgrade works planned for the runway to improve the chances of attracting air services.
disaster management capacity to be improved with the appointment of a full-time Disaster Management Co-ordinator/SES Local Controller who will co-ordinate disaster planning and response across the region
Land use planning $ 1.9 million

Part of the environment levy will fund an NRM manager who will be responsible for developing a regional NRM strategy and coordinating all regional activities including funding applications to State and Federal Government.