Logan City Council hands down budget that seeks to establish Logan as a city of the future

The $4 million public transport announcement was made on Monday at new mayor Luke Smith's first budget meeting. The announcement was met with an eruption of applause from the public in the gallery. The four-year program would see the council undertake integration studies and work with Translink to deliver more services to the city, with a particular focus on the high-growth corridor of Jimboomba.

But that – and everything else in the council's $755.6 million 2016-17 budget – will come at a cost to ratepayers, who will experience an average rates rise of 2.9 per cent or almost $73 a year.

Fifty-five per cent of Logan residents will pay the minimum $776.40 general rate in 2016-17, with their average water charge expected to be $158.47. Logan’s rates rise is on the average end of the spectrum so far.

As the ninth council in south-east Queensland to hand down its budget, Logan’s rate rise is on par with Moreton Bay, slightly higher than Scenic Rim Council, but well below Brisbane City Council, which will slug its residents with a 4.7 per cent rates rise, and Toowoomba, whose budget was handed down with an average rise in rates and charges of 3.24 per cent.

While the vast bulk of the budget went towards ongoing expenses, the major project expenditure included $8 million towards the $18 million Chambers Flat Road project, $3.2 million towards replacing the Chardon Bridge, $2 million towards the $10 million Teviot Road project and $2 million towards the upgrade of New Beath Road in Greenbank.

But it was the $4 million over four years towards public transport that represented the biggest shift in the council's focus.

Cr Smith said public transport had emerged as a major priority for residents during this year's council election.

"Council has been lobbying the Queensland government to improve transport services for years – and we have had some success through the City of Choice Leadership Team helping to coordinate the additional Yarrabilba bus service for example – but we now feel that we need to take this one step further by actively planning and contributing financially to public transport services," he said.

Cr Smith said the council would prioritise delivering better public transport to growth areas such as Greenbank, Park Ridge, Yarrabilba, Flagstone and Jimboomba and providing better connections to services linking Logan to Brisbane and Ipswich.

Another budget first for Logan City Council is the investment of $800 000 toward active lobbying and advocacy to state and federal governments on the needs of Logan residents as seen in council’s Let’s Get Moving Campaign.

“This budget will help us to establish Logan as a city of the future – the second CBD for south-east Queensland,” he said.

Cr Smith also revealed an additional 2339 rateable properties had come online in Logan City. Most of those were centred around Greenfield developments in places such as Yarrabilba.