MARK EDWARDS EXPLAINS THE 2020 REDLAND CITY COUNCIL BUDGET AND ITS ISLAND IMPACT
The annual Council budget sets the financial objectives of the city each year and the principal focus is to ensure the city can meet its financial obligations and maintain its infrastructure in order to meet the essential needs of our community.
Once that is met, a capital works program is adopted that is within Council’s financial capacity and does not create undue burden on increasing rates.
For the islands, the Capital Works program is very important as it is from these funds that we look to build the islands infrastructure.
Where those funds are spent and on which projects, is a collaborative decision with council officers and fellow councillors.
There are needs across the city and those needs are ranked in importance of funding.
This year’s budget has been especially good for the islands and comes off last year where our road sealing budget was stopped and it took a great deal of collaborative lobbying with myself an island residents to reinstate an $800,000 road sealing budget.
Our island road sealing program has become a priority of council and $1,545,000 PLUS has been allocated to sealing our roads.
That “plus” is important but first, here is the list of roads that have been scheduled for sealing: Tingara St, Macleay Island (Attunga Street to Kate Street); Tukkeri Street, Macleay Island (from Kate Street to Koonwarra Parade); Prior Way, Russell Island (Kilpa Avenue to Lea- Weena Avenue); Lea-Weena Avenue, Russell Island (Crescent Drive to 60 Lea-Weena); Kilpa Avenue (full length); The Tor Walk (full length); Banksia Street, Russell Island ( High Street to #13 Banksia Street); Cassia Street, Russell Island from Banksia Street to Callistemon Street; Callistemon Street, Russell Island from Cassia Street to Dryandra Street; Naples Drive, Russell Island (#17 to Purlit Parade); Leichhardt Terrace, Russell Island (Purlit Parade to end); Flinders Street & Murray Cresent, Russell Island (Leichhardt Street to Hume Street); Lau Street, Russell Island (from Jackson Road to Pia Street); Pia Street, Russell Island (from Lau Street to Rossi Avenue); Lau Street, Russell Island (from Jackson Road to Suva Road); Leilani Avenue, Russell Island (from Lau Street to Ursula Street); Kao Road, Russell Island (from Lau Street to End); Ursula Street, Russell Island (from Leilani Avenue to #4 Ursula Street); Amanda Street, Russell Island (from Leilani Avenue to End); Alfoli Street, Russell Island (from Leilani Avenue to #3 Alfoli Street)
It’s important to note that each road has a different cost associated with the nature of work required.
For example, one of the streets on Macleay to be sealed requires significant drainage and engineering works and the cost of that one street equals a third of the total budget for all the islands.
The “plus” funding relates to further grants that Council will be applying for throughout the year.
One such grant already applied for is the additional funding as part of the government stimulus package.
This funding is not approved yet, but additional roads are in the program as part of the stimulus package.
Other budget items include $70,000 for footpath works at Russell Terrace Macleay Island.
$265,200 has been allocated to upgrade Glendale Road Russell Island from Centre Road to Crescent Drive.
A welcome surprise is an upgrade program to the SMBI waiting sheds and Bus Shelter to the tune of $404,250.
Our front door, the Weinam Creek redevelopment has a massive $3,350,000 budgeted to push this important program forward.
To help with water flow drainage from the island roads, $100,000 has been allocated for land acquisitions.
An unexpected $795,000 has been allocated to extend the footpath along Canaipa Point Drive from Oasis Drive to Keats Street.
This is a heavy pedestrian road and this is really welcomed.
The Wahine Drive boat ramp is going to have a huge landside upgrade with $100,000 allocated for the car park.
The first of the passenger jetty replacements gets underway this year with $3,533,766 allocated to the Russell Island jetty.
Following that will be Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra with around $6 million for next year.
The Macleay Island Community Park will receive a major upgrade with $258,659 allocated for this year.
These are the main items but there are other smaller projects and upgrades.
Our islands are certainly the “winner” out of this year’s budget and we can expect more things to flow our way over the year.
