Tweed Shire Council has adopted a $283 million budget for 2024/2025, featuring investment for essential water, roads and waste infrastructure improvements.
The budget was adopted at last week's Council meeting, along with the other core documents in the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework:
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2022/2026 Delivery Program and 2024/2025 Draft Operational Plan
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2024/2034 Resourcing Strategy
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2024/2025 Revenue Policy and Statement
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2024/2025 Budget
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2024/2025 Fees and Charges.
The 2024/25 Operational Plan – which includes the budget – provides the services, projects and resources to be delivered in the third year of the Delivery Program and aims to achieve the objectives and goals as set out in the adopted Community Strategic Plan.
These documents were on exhibition for public comment from 22 April to 20 May 2024, with one submission received.
Council's $283 million budget is made up of 3 funds: $169 million from general funds, $56 million from water funds and $58 million from sewerage funds.
The budget will be used to fund several key capital works totalling $68 million during the 2024/25 financial year, including:
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$15.7 million on sewer infrastructure
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$15.6 million in resource recovery, including $4 million on waste transfer station infrastructure, $7 million on the Eviron Quarry landfill haul road, $4 million on construction of the Eviron Quarry landfill cell and $600,000 on a new green organics drop-off area
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$14.9 million on capital roadworks
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$2.7 million on the raising of Clarrie Hall Dam project
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$2.9 million on relocation of Council's Works Depot to flood-free land
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$1.6 million on implementation costs for Council's IT Enterprise Resource Planning project
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$800,000 on stormwater drainage.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said this was a balanced budget which maintained the strong financial position of Council.
"When formulating the Operational Plan and Budget, Council has been mindful of balancing the cost-of-living pressures on our ratepayers and residents against the current inflationary impact on operations and providing core infrastructure to our community," Cr Cherry said.
To fund the projects and services as outlined in the Operational Plan, the general fund rates will increase by 4.6%, which is the recommended level set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
This will see ordinary minimum residential rates rise by $53.65 to $1,220.35, ordinary minimum business rates go up by $59 to $1,341.45 and ordinary minimum farmland rates rise by $53.65 to $1,220.35 for the 2024/25 year.
Annual charges, including water, sewerage and waste charges, will rise by $70.20 for the year. Combined with rates, this will take the total minimum residential bill to $2,959.45 for the 2024/25 financial year – representing a 4.37% increase.
