We are approaching the mid point of this term of Council and on the 14th of April it will be two years since this Council was sworn in and commenced work. It has been a whirlwind period and a lot of it seems to be just a blur as it has gone by so quickly. It certainly hasn’t been your typical or normal start to a new term and a new Council and the circumstances that we have all had to operate under, due to the Covid 19 Pandemic have definitely made it interesting and at times very trying, but despite the odds being against us, there has been a lot achieved and a lot done.
The last two years has seen a lot of new residents move to the Bundaberg Region and now call it home and I would like to take this opportunity to Welcome them all to the Beautiful Bundaberg Region and if you have relocated and settled in an area in Division 1, Congratulations! You have made the right decision as it is the best place to live in the world, (in my opinion) great communities, relaxed lifestyles, natural beauty and friendly people are only a few attributes that make all areas north of the river great.
The Region has boomed during the last two years. Land Development and Housing construction is at an all-time high and continues to forge ahead with demand outstripping supply.
Existing businesses and Industries in our region are growing and expanding and there are an ever increasing number of new businesses starting up and many established business from other areas setting up and or transferring to our region.
Council has managed to deliver 2 balanced budgets, with minimal increases to Rates and Charges even with the loss of income due to Covid and the increased costs. We have delivered close to $200 million worth of Capital improvements across the region and have Planned for many more projects to be completed within the next two years, some of which include but not limited to are the New Aquatic Centre, the Anzac Park Redevelopment and the Moore Park Beach Master Plan improvements.
Some of the capital works that have occurred in Division 1 over this period are:
Avondale Recreation Reserve upgrade- Tender awarded and works will be completed by 30th June.
Moore Park Beach “Off lease dog area” tenders for this project have been called.
Miara Caravan Park upgrades.
Miara Road Upgrade.
Gooburrum Road Stage 2 Upgrade and drainage works.
Tantitha Road Upgrades.
Batchelor’s Road Upgrade and fully seal.
Winfield Rd Bridge Replacements/upgrades.
Kookaburra Park Nth Bundy Upgrade.
MPB Service Memorial Renovation/upgrades.
The Moore Park Beach Master Plan.
The Moore Park Beach Master Plan which has progressed from just an idea to the Consultation and Concept design stage to see what the Community wanted and then on to the development of the Design and Construction Plans for Stages 1,2 & 3 of the project, to locking in what we will be building in each area as planned.
Council has allocated funding in the 2022-2023 Budget for works to commence on the Master Plan area development and we have also applied for additional funding from external sources to enable this much needed and long-awaited upgrade to Moore Park Beach to occur and become a reality.
Funding applied for is as follows:
Council has applied for $3 million in funding under the Commonwealth Government’s Building Better Regions Fund Round 6. Successful applicants are expected to be announced mid-year.
In early March Council will apply for a further $2.6 million in funding under the State Government’s Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program. This is also expected to be announced around the middle of the year, and the design work continues.
Design has continued, with the general layout of the landscaping and new play area now complete. Council is expecting updates on the community buildings, skate park and proposed road works shortly.
We intend to hold another review meeting with you all once these have been submitted, hopefully around mid/late March. The Masterplan can be viewed by clicking the link below:
The Region and Division 1 constantly has an array of maintenance work on the go from mowing, slashing, roadworks, boat ramp repairs to the weeding of the gardens and the sweeping of the paths and streets etc, etc. There is always something happening as our staff work exceptional hard trying to keep everything looking at its best and well maintained.
I too, am always on the go and try my best to cover and see to the wants and needs of the residents in my division.
For those that like statistics here’s a few:
Customer Requests logged - 250
Phone Calls - 750
Emails - too many to count
Meetings attended (formal & informal) – 300 odd
& I have just about worn out my car as it had its 60,000km service last week. (all figures are approximate)
The next few months will see Council continue with the development of the Budget for the next financial year 2022-2023. Deliberations have been under way since November last year and will continue until we deliver the budget late in June.
The formation of this year’s budget has been made extremely tough due to the proposed cuts to federal assistance grants for the Bundaberg Region which have been identified as costing $54 million over 10 years. Cuts of this magnitude are going to have a big impact. Council will need to make some significant changes to the way in which Council operates to ensure we can have balanced budgets for the foreseeable future.
Combined with a negotiated wage increase, rising interest rates and a looming revaluation it’s shaping as a perfect storm and the most challenging budget since amalgamation. Council will focus on maximising efficiency in the first instance, but ultimately some service levels and delivery may have to change if the funding shortfall is not addressed.
It so unfair that our residents in the Bundaberg Region will have much-needed federal funds diverted to subsidise services elsewhere. Be sure to raise this issue with your State and Federal Members who ultimately can reverse this very unfair and wrong decision.
I will continue to deliver for Division 1 and work at keeping rates and charges as low as possible while still funding and providing the infrastructure and services that our region needs.
As always if you need to contact me or would like to meet please just call or email.
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