Changes to W4Q criteria sought

Council will ask the Queensland Government to make changes to the timing and eligibility criteria of its Works for Queensland (W4Q) Program.

In a submission to the Queensland Government, Council will seek to have the existing funding to be an annual allocation rather than the current two-year period.

This would improve Council’s ability to deliver essential community projects without further burdening ratepayers.

Council is also seeking to remove the current eligibility criteria that prohibits applying for W4Q funds to projects already planned in Council’s budget.

This acts as a barrier to Council being able to adequately plan and execute priority projects, and also increases the risk of bringing forward non priority projects.

If councils had longer-term assurance over the W4Q funding allocations and could apply funding to projects already planned, it would ensure greater success of the outcomes sought by the program.

Cairns Regional Council was allocated $15.5 million in the first round of W4Q funding (2016/17), $15.08 million in the second (2018/19) and $14.45 million in the latest 2020/21 round.