The Logan City Councils 2020/2021 budget was handed down this morning with Mayor Darren Power and City Governance Committee Chairperson, Councillor Lisa Bradley advising all of what it consists of.

The council delivered a $944.2 million back-to-basics 2020/2021Budget to signal a new era for the City of Logan.

Mayor Darren Power said despite the challenges, Council had delivered on its promise to hand down a ‘responsible and transparent’ budget.

“There’s no smoke and mirrors, it’s just a very no-frills budget that will help to ease cost of living pressures on families and ensure Council can continue to provide critical essential services for the community,” Cr Power said.

While there a lot to go through and many positives, the cities rates have increased.

“I want to say upfront that we considered freezing our rates charges for six months as part of our COVID-19 relief package, but this would have pushed more pain on to ratepayers down the track,” Cr Power said.

“We are helping ratepayers spread the cost out over 12 months so they can plan their household budgets accordingly.

“The bottom-line rate increase of 2.2 per cent will add $1.14 cents per week for the majority of residential ratepayers.

“Importantly, we are able to continue to provide all services that play an important role in making the City of Logan a better place to live.”

City Governance Committee Chairperson, Councillor Lisa Bradley, said low interest rates were both a help and a hindrance to Council’s accounts, especially as the organisation’s expenses were increasing above Brisbane’s rate of CPI (1.8% in the March quarter).

Cr Bradley said Council has today delivered a responsible and carefully considered Budget, that will invest in our city’s future with safer roads and reliable water supply, community infrastructure, environmental initiatives, and economic support for our recovery in a post-pandemic world.

“I am pleased to announce a second support package valued at 1.6 million to be rolled out to the Logan community in the wake of the pandemic, which has hit communities in Queensland hard and Logan is no exception.

“As part of budget deliberations, our Councillor team has explored various measures to support people in the community who needed it most. In addition to the 50 per cent discount on environmental health licences for relevant businesses, which will put 500 thousand back into Logan’s economy, we have eased 400 thousand in water remissions for community groups. We are suspending interest on all rates and charges debts to Council for the July to September quarter. 

“This Budget has been an exercise in good governance and careful planning,” said Cr Bradley.

Among the Budget’s highlights, Council will invest:

• $1.6 million to provide further relief to those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the $1.3m package in March.

• $119.1 million in essential water and wastewater infrastructure

• $100.5 million in local roads, drainage, footpaths and bridges

• $62.6 million on parks management and maintenance

• $39 million on waste management services

• $71.6 million on community infrastructure

• $17.9 million on libraries and creative industries

• $17.3 million on animal and pest services

• $9 million to revitalise the 35-year-old Logan North 50-metre pool

• $9.9 million to enhance our environment through a range of programs

• $2.6 million to implement the Jimboomba Park Master Plan

“This Budget is a solid platform for our community’s post-pandemic recovery, and provides a clear strategy for our city and its new Council over the next 12 months and beyond,” Cr Power said.

While these are the highlights we will keep looking into the budget and bring you some more detail as we read the lengthy document.