Council completes Pandemic Response Investment Program

When the Covid-19 pandemic first emerged, Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) approved a raft of economic relief options, including a $125 rate concession for residents, a rent relief package, free parking in the Toowoomba CBD, grants for community groups and a $50 million pandemic response investment program.

Two years later, with the pandemic response investment program now complete, TRC Finance and Business Strategy Committee Chair Cr Geoff McDonald said Council remained focused on helping the community through this period.

“The past two years have been unlike anything we’ve seen before,” he said.

“Communities across Australia, and in fact the world, have all had to respond to the emergence of the pandemic and had to have a plan moving forward.

“We approved a rate concession for our residents and a large number of financial relief measures to assist in the initial phase of the pandemic and followed this up with a $50 million package to ensure our community benefited from ongoing assistance during this period of uncertainty.

“When this package was introduced we had two main goals. The first was to make sure there was work available to keep the industry stimulated and locals in jobs and the second was to make sure we didn’t compete with the projects currently on the books of local contractors.

“Through careful planning we were able to achieve this and even more pleasing, is that of the $50 million, 87.4% of this was spent with local suppliers. This is an amazing result.

“Along the way we ran into unforeseen problems such as supply chain issues and wet weather, however despite these challenges we were able to adapt to the changing environment with the majority of the projects completed within the two years which is a huge effort from our staff.

“Some of the significant projects which were completed include refurbishments on the Empire Theatre, the Nell E Robinson Park amenities upgrade, elements of the Highfields Library, Yarraman pool amenities upgrade, building upgrades, the Neil Street Bus Station facilities upgrade, landfill rehabilitation, City Safe CCTV expansion, security system installations and multiple kerb and channelling projects.

“Although the program has now been completed, our commitment to our community remains steadfast.

“The adoption of our 2022/23 Budget last month reinforces this message, and our residents should feel reassured Council is prepared to do whatever it can to help them through any situation.”