Aug2011_COUNCILLORs COLUMN
by Cr Bob Millar Councillor Div 11
MORETON BAY 100 – CHARITY BIKE RIDE
The Lions Youth Emergency Accommodation Centre is organising a fundraising bike ride to assist their community youth project. Their aim is to make units more affordable for single women and babies and single women who are in need of transitional accommodation and personal support. This Bendigo Community Bank, Samford and Brendale branches sponsored event is looking for corporate teams, individual riders and of course supporters. If you are a cycling enthusiast or just looking for some additional boost to your healthy lifestyle you could enter a 10km, 50km or 100km ride – for more information go to www.moretonbay100.org.au .
MORETON BAY COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM
Over the last year Council provided grants totalling $560,000 to eligible sporting and community groups to undertake community capacity development, facility development and event organisation projects. In the recently delivered 2011/12 budget Council has again committed significant funds to assist groups across the region in providing their services to the community and to hundreds of residents who excel in sporting and other activities by representing their State and Country. Round 1 applications can be made by 31st August 2011 with full details available on Council’s website: www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au – search Grants.
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS – Mt Nebo Hall
Want to get a creative business idea off the ground or build your existing organization or arts practice? Give yourself the best chance of creating a viable business model by attending “Build Your Business”. Conducted on Saturday and Tuesday evenings in August, this seven session program includes a number of exciting guest speakers and encourages ‘ out of the box’ business thinking. Book your place online via Council’s secure payment website or alternatively call into any Moreton Bay Regional Council customer service branch or contact us on 3205 0555. This event is part of the Food for Thought – a professional development program for Moreton Bay’s creative community.
DAYBORO SHOW 2011 – another good year!
Congratulations to the Dayboro Show Society and all those volunteers in the community who again worked so tirelessly to produce yet another great show in July. The importance of these events to the overall history and social fabric of the communities they serve cannot be overstated, and they warrant the ongoing support of these communities for a whole range of reasons. One can only hope that these small shows can continue to bring interest, happiness and strength to the spirit of the community.
COUNCIL BUDGET INFORMATION
Whether it is our personal budgeting or a $570 million Council budget, the fine balancing act of meeting expenditure needs from income that is often under great pressure, is just as challenging. Having now participated in 12 council budgets, the last four as spokesperson for Corporate Services, I can say that for many reasons the budget brought down by Council last week has been the most challenging and momentous.
The effects of the global financial crisis are still with us, and Council’s mindful of the difficult times many of our ratepayers are experiencing. Council’s challenges with this budget have also been impacted by withdrawal of a number of previously provided State subsidies. The following is a quick summary on the major rating issues.
General Rate: The general rate across all three former Council districts was aligned for properties in the same rating category in 2010/11 and with the release of the State Government’s most recent property valuations in March ratepayers in the same rating category (eg residential owner occupied) across the region will pay the same rate in the dollar. Obviously the widely varying changes to valuations across the region from minus 10% to plus 28% will have a bearing on what outcome ratepayers experience with their general rates. Because of the regional rating requirement, this outcome is beyond council’s control, although the significant business savings council has achieved over the last year along with continuing tight fiscal management has enabled council to deliver one of the lowest rate increases in South East Queensland. An average increase of only 3.26% for owner occupied households has been achieved with more than 16% of households actually seeing their rates reduce..
Waste: Charges rose slightly for a 240litre Refuse/Recycling service with an increase from $228 to $237. Free additional domestic waste tipping for residents at transfer stations and landfill sites is retained. Those households not serviced by a street collection will pay $4 more per year at $107 to access waste facilities (a rise of 3.8%).
Rural Fire Levy: Most properties in the Village Pump and Dayboro Grapevine distribution area benefit from the presence of local volunteer fire brigades and will pay only $25 this year. This is much less than the $150 or so paid by residents in other urban and semi-urban areas of the region and has remained unchanged at this amount for several years.
A Big Budget for Division 11
Roads, parks, carparks, pathways and sports in Divison 11 are the big beneficiaries amongst this budget’s $182 million dollar capital works programme.
Further details on the budget will appear in a special budget edition of Moreton Living to issue shortly and other information will be included in my future Division 11 newsletter, Millar’s Mailbag. Copies of the Mayor’s and my budget speeches and press releases are available on the website www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au .
DID YOU KNOW?
That Council maintains 2,280 kilometres of stormwater pipes and open drains across the Region
For all your general council enquiries call 3205 0555 or email mbrc@moretonbay.qld.gov.au
If I can assist further please contact me.
The Lions Youth Emergency Accommodation Centre is organising a fundraising bike ride to assist their community youth project. Their aim is to make units more affordable for single women and babies and single women who are in need of transitional accommodation and personal support. This Bendigo Community Bank, Samford and Brendale branches sponsored event is looking for corporate teams, individual riders and of course supporters. If you are a cycling enthusiast or just looking for some additional boost to your healthy lifestyle you could enter a 10km, 50km or 100km ride – for more information go to www.moretonbay100.org.au .
MORETON BAY COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM
Over the last year Council provided grants totalling $560,000 to eligible sporting and community groups to undertake community capacity development, facility development and event organisation projects. In the recently delivered 2011/12 budget Council has again committed significant funds to assist groups across the region in providing their services to the community and to hundreds of residents who excel in sporting and other activities by representing their State and Country. Round 1 applications can be made by 31st August 2011 with full details available on Council’s website: www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au – search Grants.
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS – Mt Nebo Hall
Want to get a creative business idea off the ground or build your existing organization or arts practice? Give yourself the best chance of creating a viable business model by attending “Build Your Business”. Conducted on Saturday and Tuesday evenings in August, this seven session program includes a number of exciting guest speakers and encourages ‘ out of the box’ business thinking. Book your place online via Council’s secure payment website or alternatively call into any Moreton Bay Regional Council customer service branch or contact us on 3205 0555. This event is part of the Food for Thought – a professional development program for Moreton Bay’s creative community.
DAYBORO SHOW 2011 – another good year!
Congratulations to the Dayboro Show Society and all those volunteers in the community who again worked so tirelessly to produce yet another great show in July. The importance of these events to the overall history and social fabric of the communities they serve cannot be overstated, and they warrant the ongoing support of these communities for a whole range of reasons. One can only hope that these small shows can continue to bring interest, happiness and strength to the spirit of the community.
COUNCIL BUDGET INFORMATION
Whether it is our personal budgeting or a $570 million Council budget, the fine balancing act of meeting expenditure needs from income that is often under great pressure, is just as challenging. Having now participated in 12 council budgets, the last four as spokesperson for Corporate Services, I can say that for many reasons the budget brought down by Council last week has been the most challenging and momentous.
The effects of the global financial crisis are still with us, and Council’s mindful of the difficult times many of our ratepayers are experiencing. Council’s challenges with this budget have also been impacted by withdrawal of a number of previously provided State subsidies. The following is a quick summary on the major rating issues.
General Rate: The general rate across all three former Council districts was aligned for properties in the same rating category in 2010/11 and with the release of the State Government’s most recent property valuations in March ratepayers in the same rating category (eg residential owner occupied) across the region will pay the same rate in the dollar. Obviously the widely varying changes to valuations across the region from minus 10% to plus 28% will have a bearing on what outcome ratepayers experience with their general rates. Because of the regional rating requirement, this outcome is beyond council’s control, although the significant business savings council has achieved over the last year along with continuing tight fiscal management has enabled council to deliver one of the lowest rate increases in South East Queensland. An average increase of only 3.26% for owner occupied households has been achieved with more than 16% of households actually seeing their rates reduce..
Waste: Charges rose slightly for a 240litre Refuse/Recycling service with an increase from $228 to $237. Free additional domestic waste tipping for residents at transfer stations and landfill sites is retained. Those households not serviced by a street collection will pay $4 more per year at $107 to access waste facilities (a rise of 3.8%).
Rural Fire Levy: Most properties in the Village Pump and Dayboro Grapevine distribution area benefit from the presence of local volunteer fire brigades and will pay only $25 this year. This is much less than the $150 or so paid by residents in other urban and semi-urban areas of the region and has remained unchanged at this amount for several years.
A Big Budget for Division 11
Roads, parks, carparks, pathways and sports in Divison 11 are the big beneficiaries amongst this budget’s $182 million dollar capital works programme.
Further details on the budget will appear in a special budget edition of Moreton Living to issue shortly and other information will be included in my future Division 11 newsletter, Millar’s Mailbag. Copies of the Mayor’s and my budget speeches and press releases are available on the website www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au .
DID YOU KNOW?
That Council maintains 2,280 kilometres of stormwater pipes and open drains across the Region
For all your general council enquiries call 3205 0555 or email mbrc@moretonbay.qld.gov.au
If I can assist further please contact me.
Councillor Bob Millar
Independent – Division 11.
