LOGAN City Council treasurer Trevina Schwarz has delivered her third budget featuring a rates rise for most home owners of $38.76 a year or 75 cents a week.
Other key measures included more than $230 million on basics like roads, drainage, footpaths, bridges, water and waste water infrastructure, $12 million for the redevelopment of the historic Kingston Butter Factory, $2 million for historic Logan Village and about the same for master plans at five Logan sports parks.
Measures designed to help struggling ratepayers include freezing the council component of water charges and freezing sewerage charges both for the second year running; freezing cat and dog registration fees and increasing pensioner remissions by 2 per cent to $339.20 for maximum rate pensioners and $169.60 for non-maximum rate pensioners.
“While the city of Logan continues to grow and prosper, we want to ensure our ratepayers aren’t slugged with excessive rates and fees,” Cr Schwarz said.
Local highlights include $19.9 million for Cedar Grove wastewater treatment plants stage 1 and effluent main; $6.8 million for Greenbank to Flagstone Centre conveyance system; $3.5 million for Loganholme wastewater treatment plant upgrade; and $9.85 million for Flagstone Central to Cedar Grove wastewater treatment plant conveyance infrastructure.
Capital works projects include $16.7 million to begin stage 3 of a major upgrade between Pub Lane and Citrine Street at New Beith Road, Greenbank; $12.5 million to continue design and begin work on a major new intersection and bridge works between between Mount Lindesay Highway and Kings Way; $8.5 million to continue design and begin construction works of a new urban collector road at Jedine Street Park Ridge; $4.5 million to build a new signalised intersection at Station Road, Jellico St and Logan Motorway off-ramps, Loganlea; and $1.6 million to build a new off-road cycle way on Chambers Flat Road, Marsden and Kingston Road to Waratah Drive Waterford West.
The budget follows a tough year at Logan. Mayor Luke Smith has been suspended while he fights charges of perjury and official corruption after a Crime and Conduct Commission investigation arising from Operation Belcarra.
Former chief executive Sharon Kelsey continues her fight to resume her job in the Queensland industrial court.
Cr Stacey McIntosh, charged with misappropriation arising from an incident before she was a councillor, has also been suspended.
Cr Lisa Bradley voted against the document, saying her issue was with fairness and equity between divisions in relation to some big spends.
Acting mayor Cherie Dalley said the $850 million budget was the largest in the city’s history.
“The bottom-line rates increase is below CPI for the second year running,” she said.
