Gympie Regional Council endorses it's 2021/2022 Budget

Gympie Regional Council have endorsed the 2021/2022 budget this morning at a special meeting at Town Hall. 

This year’s budget focuses on financial repair, the maintenance of council's ageing infrastructure, the delivery of waste management services, and working towards improved water supply and water security.

Key points of the $157.66 million budget include: • $40.07 million capital works program  • A $0.06 million operational surplus  • Residential rate increase of 3.22 per cent  • Early payment discount of 5 per cent on general rates  • $160 pensioner rebate  • Total debt of $20.54 million  • Total cash reserves of $40.71 million  • $16.6 million for water business unit operations  • $10.9 million for road maintenance  • $6.2 million for bridges  • $1.3 million for gravel road sealing • $2.2 million for road resealing  • $1.6 million for rehabilitation and renewal of roads • $1.8 million for road widening • $1.4 million for storm water works • $1.4 million for new pedestrian/cycle paths • $4.1 million for parks and sporting facilities • $1 million for environmental management • $4 million for libraries and events • $10.4 million for waste and recycling operations • $886 thousand for pools.

Gympie Regional Council Mayor Glen Hartwig says the 2021/2022 budget is a continuation of the ‘Back to Basics’ model that Council adopted last year. 

"Our focus was and continues to be centred around repairing and maintaining core infrastructure to an appropriate standard.

“There is a desperate need to replace ageing pipework that reached its expiration a number of years ago. To bring back this standard is going to take some time, especially in the water and sewage area and to do this, we will need further funding.

“In the environment dictated by financial repair, this budget contains no major spending projects, instead focusing on our core business and continued drive to improve organisational efficiencies and improve our effective use of rate payer funds.

“This budget is a further step in the right direction to correct our financial position and begin the path back to financial stability,” he said. 

You can view council’s full budget document at www.gympie.qld.gov.au/budget or visit council’s Facebook page for the live stream replay.