The North Burnett Regional Council (NBRC) has today released its new Corporate Plan and 2021-2022 Budget.
Following an extraordinary community consultation tour, Acting Mayor, Councillor Robbie Radel said ‘A Plan for Generations’ sets the strategic direction for a prosperous future built on a solid foundation of customer focused, efficient, and effective service delivery.
“We recognise it’s going to take courageous leadership, community empowerment and continuous improvement to get this done,” Acting Mayor Radel said.
“This is a responsible budget which gets the basics right and delivers a sustainable level of essential services. However, as in all years, the challenge to meet a balance has meant many projects are not able to be funded.”
Driving the plan is a mission to secure a bright future which the North Burnett deserves.
The critical foundations include:
- Essential Service Delivery – Getting the basics right
- Sustainable Communities – To retain population and attract investment
- Prosperous Future – To ensure economic growth for future generations
“There is so much to consider with every budget decision we make,” Acting Mayor Radel said.
“We weigh up the expectations of our community, legislative requirements, our commitment to maintaining $1.1 billion of assets and our long-term financial sustainability.”
“NBRC ensures every cent spent represents an investment for future generations. This is a responsibility we don’t take lightly as we continue to navigate significant challenges.”
The 2021-2022 budget reduces the Council’s operating deficit by $2 million compared to last year, with general rates being increased by only 3% in line with most other Queensland councils.
“The community has spoken and we’ve listened,” Acting Mayor Radel said.
“We need to run Council like a business, within the parameters we’re confined to. We refuse to stick our heads in the sand and accept a deficit position into the future. Instead we’re working hard to balance the budget.”
“There’ll be more challenges and complexities, and tricky problems to solve, but this a brave Council which will face challenges head on.”
34% of the Council’s operating revenue and 61% of its capital projects are externally funded.
“We appreciate State and Federal Government financial assistance for core projects and operations. We know we can’t be sustainable without having a reliance on external funding, and this is an ongoing challenge we’ll continue to battle to rectify.”