The Southern Moreton Bay Island Translink levy will end in December 2018 as part of a Redland City Council budget that also provides for the initial stages of Redland Bay’s Weinam Creek parking and development project.

The 2018-19 budget sees substantial allocations for island communities, including the continuation of the Green Seal road program.

Mayor Karen Williams said the budget underscored the city’s commitment to bay island communities and addressed island residents’ priorities.

“As promised, the Translink levy will end on 31 December 2018, fulfilling the commitment made by Council when we promised to bring Translink services to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands in 2013,’’ Cr Williams said.

“This levy was designed to establish the Translink service for the bay islands and it has done its job with about 1400 trips a day on the service.

“Council has kept its word and now it is over to Translink to maintain all the benefits residents have enjoyed once the agreement expires. I will be writing to the Minister to make it clear the Redlands community expects them to honour the commitment they made in 2013 by keeping this service in place so our SMBI residents are connected to the rest of South East Queensland.”

The budget includes $3.1 million for Redland Bay’s Weinam Creek transport and parking project.

“Council is planning to borrow funds to make the Weinam Creek project happen as it is a significant intergenerational project for our city and will open our foreshores and Moreton Bay to tourism and recreation,’’ Cr Williams said.

“At the same time we are banging on the State Government’s door and urging it to fulfill its responsibility for funding the marine infrastructure that the islands need.

“This would then allow us to invest in intergenerational projects such as Weinam Creek. The alternative to the State Government funding marine public transport is that the city – and that means ratepayers – will have to pay more.

“Managing the 335km of coastline which the Redlands Coast is known for, is expensive and the type of investment required is beyond the means of a modest council such as Redlands. We cannot continue to be the only council of our size that pays for such marine transport projects which are the responsibility of the state.”

The budget also commits to continuing the successful Green Seal road program on the islands.

“We have given priority to residents’ wishes for island roads to be sealed faster,’’ Cr Williams said.

The islands’ Rural Fire Brigade Special Charge remains at $20 per annum to buy and maintain equipment and provide a fire service to island properties.

“The budget also includes $240,000 for Southern Moreton Bay Islands fire management compliance to minimise the risk to residents and property from the impacts of bushfire,” Cr Williams said.

The charge for the islands’ standard 240l waste and recycling bins will increase $30.90 a year, the same as for the mainland.

Visit the Redland City Council website for more information.

Redland City Council has voted to move away from special levies for canal properties at Raby Bay, introducing new rating categories in its 2018-19 budget to fund revetment wall repairs from their general rates.

It follows city-wide consultation, including the involvement of an independent Citizens’ Advisory Panel, on how best to manage and fund the maintenance activities of the city’s canals and lake and revetment walls.

“Differential rates have been introduced for Raby Bay canal properties in 2018-19 to cover revetment walls,’’ Cr Williams said. “Currently there is no programmed expenditure for revetment wall works in Aquatic Paradise or Sovereign Waters, where traditionally there is very limited or no revetment wall works required.”

“Council will pay for all dredging and maintenance at Raby Bay, Aquatic Paradise and Sovereign Waters estates and 10 percent of the cost of work on revetment walls at Raby Bay, reflecting slightly more than the proportion of revetment wall owned by Council. These sections of wall border the city’s public parks and facilities.

“Essentially, Raby Bay canal property owners will continue to pay for their proportion of revetment walls. They will pay via new differential general rating categories, rather than a special charge.

“And with Council collecting the funds and managing the repairs there will be a visible reserve that is then used to fix revetment walls; providing residents with assurances that  revetment walls will be fixed should problems arise, which is what canal property owners said they wanted. They did not want to be left to rely on individual property owners to fix the revetment walls or for property owners to be left with large individual bills for a revetment wall failure on their property.”

Cr Williams said the appropriate level of funding contributed by the city and those who live on the canals and lake had been discussed by Council and canal and lake property owners for many years.

“We are confident this arrangement will provide security to canal property owners and the broader city,” Cr Williams said.

“I encourage the city’s residents to get out and enjoy our canals and lakes, whether it is a spot of fishing or kayaking. The waterways are there for everyone.”

The new differential rating system follows extensive community consultation, including a 40-person Citizens’ Advisory Panel – the first of its kind in the Redlands – on the best way to fund and manage canal and lake maintenance and revetment walls.

Visit the Redland City Council website for more information.

Redland City Council has adopted an “achievable and affordable” budget for 2018-19.

The budget delivers an average rates and charges rise of 3.99 percent for a typical category 1a, owner-occupied household, excluding State Government charges, while maintaining Council’s low-debt status. It also delivers a $66.9 million capital works program that focuses on the renewal of vital community infrastructure such as roads and parks.

Mayor Karen Williams said Councillors had to strike a balance between keeping residential and commercial rates rises to a minimum and meeting the expectations of residents against a backdrop of continued hefty increases in the State Government’s bulk water charges and cost of waste management.

“For the fourth consecutive year, we have maintained our water retail charges at the same rate as 2015 to offset the continued substantial rises in the state bulk water price,” Cr Williams said.

“The state’s water rise accounts for 72 cents a week or nearly $37.40 a year based on average 200kL consumption.

“This is something over which Council has no control, along with the higher cost of managing the city’s waste and recycling,” Cr Williams said.

Cr Williams said in framing this budget, Councillors worked to ensure it was both achievable and affordable, while maintaining the city’s enviable financial status and delivering the major projects that will be required in the years ahead.

“Under this $289 million budget, a typical Redland household – that’s a category 1a residential owner-occupied property with a property land value of $241,305 – will see a modest increase of 3.99 percent for their Redland City Council rates and utilities, excluding the State Government bulk water and emergency management charges.

Cr Williams said part of the average rates increase was linked to Council’s environmental and community safety obligations.

“The city’s environmental levy will rise by $6.48 a year to fund the acquisition of strategic land such as the Commonwealth land at Birkdale, for which we are negotiating with the Federal Government,’’ Cr Williams said.

“We also have allocated over $1.1 million to our Koala Conservation program to fund on-the-ground research and develop science-based actions to protect koalas and their habitat.

“Changes to the Australian recycling landscape have also led to an increase in waste charges to ensure the Redlands continues to be proactive in promoting best-practice recycling.

Cr Williams said the 2018-19 budget allowed for a small projected operating deficit of about $2.35 million – a significant improvement on last year.

“This budget was also the first to benefit from the application of new prioritisation principles to the capital works program,” Cr Williams said.

“We have implemented a new, more rigorous way of prioritising major projects, which ensures our capital works program is achievable and delivers residents the best value for money.

“This year we are focusing on renewing existing community infrastructure to ensure it remains in good shape and save money in the long term.

“This really is a steady budget which locks in the work which has been done in the past few years and prepares us well for delivering the services and infrastructure that will be needed in the years ahead.

Cr Williams said that after increases in commercial rates last year to help drive much-needed investment and growth, this year’s commercial rates rises reflected the residential increase.

“The modest rise in the commercial rates will continue to support measures to boost our economic development and help local businesses and enterprises to grow through making our city more attractive to trade and investment,’’ she said.

There also has been a change to Council’s rating categories to take in the new system for funding the city’s canal revetment walls.

“Canal and lake dredging and maintenance will be funded through general rates after recent community consultation, including a Citizens’ Advisory Panel,’’ Cr Williams said.

“Council will pay for all dredging and maintenance and 10 percent of the cost of maintaining Raby Bay revetment walls and this has had some effect on rates across the city.

“Raby Bay canal property owners will essentially continue to pay for their proportion of revetment walls through the new differential rates, with Council project managing repairs.

“This will provide assurance that any revetment wall problems will be fixed and not left to individual owners.”

Cr Williams said Council remained unwavering in its commitment to offset cost increases by becoming smarter and more efficient and was also seeking greater support through funding from the State Government.

“We are drawing a line in the sand over what we pay for and what the state pays for. We want ratepayers’ money for local projects that are the responsibility of Council,’’ Cr Williams said.

“Our policy position is that public transport is a state responsibility and they should pay for it. It is untenable that Redland City continues to be the only council of its size that funds infrastructure for ferry services.

“This decision frees up money for projects that will benefit the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, including $3.1 million towards planning for the Weinam Creek project, the largest intergenerational project to receive funding in this budget.

“We continue to lobby for our fair share of state and federal funding rather than allowing our rates to be increased by the ongoing cost shifting.

“Local Government across the country is responsible for 25 per cent of the nation’s infrastructure, but receives only three per cent of all taxes raised.”

Cr Williams said that of all the money Council raised, almost three-quarters was for the maintenance programs needed to support the community and their delivery, with the rest set aside for new infrastructure and capital programs.

“And of our total funding, less than 14 percent comes in the form of grants, subsidies and contributions from sources such as other levels of government,” she said.

The Budget at a glance:

• A typical Redlands resident owner-occupied household (category 1a with a property value of about $241,305) will see a modest increase of 3.99 percent on Council rates and charges, excluding the State Government bulk water and emergency management charges.
• The increased state bulk water charge equates to about 72 cents per week or nearly $37.40 a year.
• Council’s retail water costs maintained at 2015-16 prices to help offset the State Government bulk water cost increase of 7.3 per cent from 2017-18 to 2018-19.
• General rate increases for commercial properties on par with residential properties.
• Capital expenditure totalling $66.9 million.
• New borrowings for intergenerational projects of $2.5 million as compared to the forecast revenue of $319 million.
• A projected operating deficit of about $2.35 million.
• Pensioner rebate maintained at $335 per year for a full pensioner or $167.50 for a part-pensioner.
• Environment levy increases $6.48 a year to help fund purchases of strategic land for the community.
• Koala Conservation program funding of $1.1 million to deliver on-the-ground research and science-based actions to protect and improve koala habitat, reduce koala deaths and improve community education around koalas.

Visit the Redland City Council website for more information.