Before the first item ¶
00:00:00 Speaker 2: The levying of rates and charges, national competition policy, Council's estimated financial position as at the 30th of June 2026 and Council's 26-27 budget and 26-27 to 20-35-36 long-term financial forecast. As required under the local government regulation, Council must annually review and adopt its investment policy, its debt policy, revenue policy and procurement policy. These statutory policies ensure Council maintains sound financial governance and transparency in line with legislative requirements. While the remainder of the policies outlined in the report are not specifically required under legislation, they do represent best practice and support strong internal controls, effective decision-making and long-term sustainability. The majority of the policies reviewed remain materially unchanged, aside from the minor renaming, grammatical, formatting and disclosure improvements. Key updates include the debt policy has been updated to reflect the proposed $10.8 million
1 DECLARATION OF OPENING ¶
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2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY ¶
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3 ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES ¶
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4 SPECIAL MEETING REPORTS ¶
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4.1 2026/27 FINANCIAL POLICIES ¶
00:01:00 of borrowings for waste management capital infrastructure works in 26-27. Over the 10-year forecast period, Council plans to borrow $40 million. The procurement policy has been amended to include an additional section for procurement approvals where procurement falls outside of Council's policy thresholds but remains within legislative thresholds. The management of restricted cash policy has been amended to reflect the intent of the Local Government Regulation 2012 in terms of the classification of externally and internally restricted cash. Together, these policies and others form the foundation of Council's financial management framework, reinforcing our commitment to prudent stewardship of public resources and continued service to our community. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Do we have any questions for Acting Director Gatt? Okay, would it be appropriate for us to move on to the next item? Does anyone like to move the recommendation?
00:02:00 Councillor Finzel: Happy to move. Mayor Wilkie: Moved by Councillor Finzel, seconded by Councillor Lorentson. I second. Thank you. Any discussion? All in favour? That's carried unanimously. Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Aye. Thank you. The next item, 4.2, is the Revenue Statement. Again, we have Acting Director Gatt for a summary of the report. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 2: Thank you, Chair. Council is required under Section 1692 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 to include a Revenue Statement in its annual budget. Under Council's 2627 Revenue Statement, total budgeted rates and utility charges for the financial year are $119 million, with estimated discounts of $3.9 million and pension remissions of $1.4 million. Net rates and utilities charges are estimated to be $130 million. The more substantial highlights of Council's 2627 rates and charges include a 6.1% increase
4.2 2026/27 REVENUE STATEMENT ¶
00:03:00 in the general rates for a residential property on the minimum general rate, an overall increase of 9.5% in general rate revenue, an 8.1% increase in the waste utility charge, which reflects higher service delivery costs and the impact of the State Waste Levy. An increase of 13.7% for $5.55 in the Sustainable Transport Levy. The Environment Levy and Heritage Levy remain unchanged at $75 and $10 respectfully per annum. The retention of general rates discounts at 5% on the general rate and pensioner remissions remain unchanged at a maximum $230 per annum. A strategic approach to Council's 2627 budget has been followed to minimise the impact of rate increases for households on the minimum general rate. This has resulted in an increase
00:04:00 after discounts of 6.9% in net rates and utilities charges for these property owners. Noting an overall increase in property valuations since the last revaluation in 2020-2023 of 37%. Council officers have also remodelled rating category valuation bands to minimise the overall increase to general rates. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you Director Gatt and we have a range of motions here related to the Revenue Statement. Motion 1 is that pursuant to Section 104 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Sections 169 and 170 of the Local Government Regulation, Council adopt the Revenue Statement provided as attachment 1 to the Special Meeting Report dated 23rd of June 2026. We have a mover and a seconder please. Moved by Councillor Wegener, seconded by Councillor Phillips. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Mayor Wilkie: Yes. Thank you. That's unanimous. Motion 2. We'll just get that up on the screen. Pursuant to
00:05:00 Section 81 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council adopt the categories into which rateable land in its local government area is categorised. The description of those categories and the method by which land is to be identified and included in its appropriate category is as follows. And they're all in the document. We have a mover and a seconder. I'm happy to move. Thank you Councillor Lorentson. Seconded by Councillor Phillips. Any discussion? All in favour? Yes. Thank you. Aye. That's carried unanimously. We go to motion 3 that pursuant to Section 257 of Local Government Act 2009. Council delegates to the Chief Executive Officer the power to identify for Sections 814 and 815 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 the rating category to which
00:06:00 each partial of rateable land belongs. May I have a mover and a seconder please? I move. Moved by Councillor Phillips. Seconded by Councillor Lorentson. Thank you. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Yes. Mayor Wilkie: That's unanimous. Motion 4. Pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 80 of the Local Government Regulation, Council will levy the differential general rate for each differential rate category and pursuant to Section 77 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, fixes the minimum differential general rate to be levied for each general rate category as follows. And that's documented in the revenue statement. We have a mover and a seconder please. I'll move it. And we have a seconder. Thank you Councillor Wegener. Any discussion? All in favour? Councillor Wilson: Aye. Yes. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. Motion 5. Pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 103 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a separate charge to be
00:07:00 known as the environmental levy and the sum of $75 on each parcel of rateable land in the Noosa Shire to fund a range of strategic environmental initiatives more fully detailed in the 2627 revenue statement provided as attachment 1 to the special meeting report dated June 23, 2026. Mover? Happy to move. Thank you. Thank you Councillor Lorentson. We have a seconder. Councillor Wegener. Discussion? All in favour? Councillor Finzel: Yes. Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. We're up to motion 6. That pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 103 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a separate charge to be known as sustainable transport levy in the sum of $35.55 on each parcel of rateable land in the Noosa Shire to fund a range of strategic transport initiatives more fully detailed in the 2627 revenue statement provided as attachment 1 to the special meeting report dated June 23, 2026.
00:08:00 Mover? I'll move it. May we have a seconder please? I'll second. Thank you Councillor Wilson. Discussion? All in favour? Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Aye. That's carried. That brings us to motion 7 which reads that pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 103 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a separate charge to be known as the heritage levy in the sum of $10 on each parcel of rateable land in the Noosa Shire to fund a cultural heritage program for the management, protection and improvement of the heritage of the area more fully detailed in the 2627 revenue statement provided as attachment 1 to the special meeting report dated June 23, 2026. Councillor Finzel, do you wish to move this one? Councillor Finzel: Oh yes please Mr Mayor. Thank you, happy to move. Mayor Wilkie: May we have a seconder? Councillor Lorentson. Any discussion? That's all in favour? Yes. Aye. That's carried. That brings us to motion 8. There is a change to the wording of motion 8 which will be, this is a technical change that reads now that pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 103 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a separate charge to be known as the bushfire resilience and response levy. The separate charges will be in the sum of $10 on each parcel of rateable land in the Noosa Shire to fund a cultural heritage program for the management, protection and improvement
00:09:00 of 0.00245 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum levy of $11.50 on each parcel of rateable land in the Noosa Shire to fund a range of services and initiatives related to a bushfire management and prevention, related to, that should be related to bushfire management and prevention, removal of the word a. As more fully detailed in the 2627 revenue statement provided as attachment 1 to the special meeting report dated June 23, 2026.
00:10:00 Thank you, Councillor Phillips. And I'm happy to second that. Any discussion? All in favour? Aye. Yes. That's carried unanimously. That brings us to motion 9 that pursuant to Section 94 of each of the Local Government Act and the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a special rate to fund the service, facility or activity comprising operation and maintenance of the loch and weir servicing the Noosa Waters estate. To be known as the Noosa Waters loch and weir maintenance levy, the special rate will be 0.0167 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum levy of $175 levied on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan for the service, facility or activity identifies as delineated on map 1 below. The estimated cost, yeah, map 1 below. Do we have a mover for this? Move to motion 9 please. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson.
00:11:00 Councillor Finzel: Happy to second. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Discussion? All in favour? Aye. That's carried unanimously. Motion 10 that pursuant to Section 94 of each of the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a special rate to fund the service, facility or activity comprising inspection, maintenance and remedial works in the Noosa Waters estate canal area to support the canal revetment wall system. To be known as the Noosa Waters canal maintenance levy. The special rate will be 0.001007 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum value of $11 per annum levied on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan for the service, facility or activity identifies as delineated on map 2 below. We have a mover and a seconder for that, please. I'm happy to move it. Councillor Wegener. Second. Seconded. Discussion?
00:12:00 All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. That brings us to Motion 11 that pursuant to Section 94 of each of the Local Government Act and Local Government Regulation, Council will levy a special rate to fund the service, facility or activity comprising projects and initiatives that advance the recommendations of the 2008 Noosa Junction Commercial and Economic Planning Strategy. To be known as the Noosa Junction Levy, the special rate will be 0.182 cents in the dollar of rateable value levied on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan for the service, facility or activity identifies as delineated on map 3. We have a mover and a seconder. Happy to move. Moved by Councillor Lorentson. Happy to second. Seconded by Councillor Phillips. Discussion? All in favour? Aye. That pursuant to Section 94 of each of the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a special rate to fund the service, facility or activity comprising maintenance of the Hastings Street Precinct above the standard level of service Council provides.
00:13:00 To be known as the Hastings Street Precinct Levy, the special rate will be 0.09318 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum value of 64.64 dollars and 90 cents per annum on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan for the service, facility or activity identifies as delineated on map 4A. We have a mover and a seconder for the Hastings Street Levy. Councillor Phillips: Happy to move. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Phillips. We have a seconder. Councillor Wilson: I second. Mayor Wilkie: That's Councillor Wilson. Any discussion? All in favour? Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Aye. That's carried. Thank you. Brings us to Motion 13. That pursuant to Section 94 of each of the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a special rate to fund the service, facility or activity comprising the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the Noosa Heads Main Beach.
00:14:00 To be known as the Noosa Main Beach Levy, the special rate will be 0.11 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum value of 56 dollars per annum on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan identifies on map 5A below and 0.0168 cents in the dollar of rateable value with a minimum value of 56 dollars per annum on each parcel of rateable land that the overall plan identifies on maps 5B, 5C and 5D. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Yes. Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. Brings us to Motion 14. That pursuant to each of Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy a special charge to fund the service, facility or activity comprising a safety program for the Hastings Street Precinct including the provision of security patrols to be managed by the Hastings Street Association Incorporated.
00:15:00 To be known as the Hastings Street Community Safety Charge, the special rate will be $236.30 for each rateable community titles lot and for each other rateable parcel with an area not exceeding 600 square metres and two, $1,493.28 for each rateable parcel with an area not less than 601 square metres and not exceeding 2,000 square metres and three, $7,185.76 for each rateable parcel with an area not exceeding 2,000 square metres and three, $7,185. For each rateable parcel with an area exceeding 2,000 square metres identified upon the overall plan for the service, facility or activity as delineated on Map 6 below. Thank you. Councillor Phillips has moved that.
00:16:00 Happy to second. Councillor Finzel has seconded that. Any discussion? All in favour? Aye. Councillor Finzel: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. That's carried. Motion 15. That pursuant to Section 5 of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation 2011, the entire local government area governed by the Noosa Shire Council is designated as a waste collection area. That pursuant to Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 99 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will levy waste utility charges for its provision of waste management services in the 26-27 financial year as follows. Council will levy the charges on all properties and their management services. Designated waste collection service areas as extended if applicable that are presently serviced, able to be serviced, or commencing receipt of a service. We have a mover and a seconder for the waste. Councillor Morrison. Councillor Finzel: Moved. Mayor Wilkie: الد perception.
00:17:00 Councillor Finzel: One just the second. Mayor Wilkie: Okay, up to motion 16. At pursuant to Section 107 of Local Government Regulation 2012 and Chapter 5, Part 3A, Division 3 of the Fire Services Act 1990, Council will collect the Queensland Government's Emergency Management Levy, which it will include in its rates notices, for the half-year 1st of July 2026 to 31st December 2026 in July 2026, and for the half-year 1st of January 2027 to 30th June 2027 in January 2026.
00:18:00 I'm happy to move that one. May we have a seconder? Happy to second. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson. Discussion? All in favour? Yes. Aye. That's carried. That brings us to Motion 17. Pursuant to Section 118 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council's rates and charges, together with the State Emergency Management Levy, must be paid within 31 days after the date of issue of the rates notice. I have a mover and a seconder. Thank you, Councillor Phillips. I will second that. Any discussion? All in favour? Aye. That's carried. Motion 18. Pursuant to Section 130 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will allow a 5% discount to general rates if all rates and charges are paid in full on or before the due date, the 31st day after the date the rates notice issues.
00:19:00 I'm happy to move that one. We have a seconder for that one. Thank you, Councillor Wegener. Any discussion? All in favour? Aye. Yes. Thank you. That's carried. Motion 19. Pursuant to Section 113 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, compound interest of 12.19% accruing daily will be charged on all overdue rates and charges beginning on the day after the due date noted on the rates notice. Have a mover and a seconder, please. Happy to move. Thank you, Councillor. Any discussion? All in favour? Aye. Motion 20. Pursuant to Section 120 to 123 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will grant a concession of 25% of the general rates to a maximum of $230 per annum to all ratepayers who are pensioners where the eligibility requirements below are met, but subject to the further conditions outlined in Section 2.4.1 of Council's 2627 Revenue Statement.
00:20:00 May we have a mover and a seconder of that, please? Happy to move. Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Councillor Phillips: I'll be to second. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Phillips. Any discussion? All in favour? Councillor Finzel: Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. Motion 21. Pursuant to Section 120 to 122 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will grant concessions to all ratepayers meeting the eligibility criteria set out in Council's 2627 Revenue Statement and Council's General Rate and Charges Concessions Policy. Move and a seconder, please. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson. I'll second that. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Thank you. That's carried. And we come to the final motion, 22, that pursuant to Sections 120 to 122 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council will grant concessions in the form of interest-free payment periods for up to two years to ratepayers that meet the eligibility criteria set out in Council's General Rates and Charges Hardship Financial Policy.
00:21:00 I'm happy to move that. May we have a seconder, please? Thank you, Councillor Wegener. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Yes. Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. We come now to Item 4.3, which is National Competition Policy Reform. Thank you, Acting Director Gatt. Speaker 2: Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: A summary of the report, please. Speaker 2: Thank you, through the Chair. Each year, Council is required to decide whether to apply National Competition Policy, often referred to as NCP, reform to its identified business activities. NCP reform provides greater transparency over Council's businesses, and assists with removing any anti-competitive conduct, and ensures the best allocation of Council's limited resources. Council has adopted NCP reforms with respect to waste management and holiday parks business activities since de-amalgamation in 2014. Council has also undertaken a review of the nature of other services and activities it provides to the public, including community facilities, aquatic resources, and other services.
4.3 2026/27 NATIONAL COMPETITION POLICY REFORM ¶
00:22:00 The NCP reforms include public leisure, events, arts and respite centres, and cemeteries. Whilst these operations generate fees and operate on a partial user-pays system, they do not have the necessary full-cost recovery and profit-making focus, and Council is not seeking to apply NCP principles to these specific businesses. Accordingly, the recommendations are to continue to apply the full-cost pricing reform options to the waste management business activity for the 26-27 financial year. In accordance with Section 44 of the Local Government Act 2009, as these operations would be considered a significant business activity and exceed the set expenditure thresholds. And to continue to apply the Code of Competitive Conduct to the holiday parks business activity for the 26-27 financial year, in accordance with Section 47 of the Local Government Act 2009.
00:23:00 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Any questions? I have a mover and a seconder for the recommendation. Thank you, Council. Councillor Wegener. A seconder? Councillor Finzel: I'm happy to second. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Any discussion? All in favour? Councillor Finzel: Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. The Council brings us to a statement of estimated financial position for the 25-26 financial year. Thank you, Director Gatt. Speaker 2: Thank you, through the Chair. In accordance with Section 205 of the Local Government Regulation, Council is required to present a statement of estimated financial position as part of the annual budget adoption process. The statement of estimated financial position provides an estimate only of Council's financial performance to the 30th of June, 2026, as adopted by Council at its ordinary meeting on the 19th of February, 2026. The estimate shows an operating surplus of $92,000. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Would someone like to move the recommendation? Councillor Lorentson: Happy to. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Lorentson.
4.4 STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FINANCIAL POSITION FOR THE 2025/26 FINANCIAL YEAR ¶
00:24:00 A seconder? Councillor Wegener. Any discussion? All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Mayor Wilkie: That's unanimous. Now, before we get to the next item, which is the adoption of the 26-27 budget, I would like to move that the operation of the standing orders or any relevant provision thereof be suspended to allow Council to receive budget speeches from the Councillors. May I have a seconder for that motion, please? Thank you, Councillor Wegener. All in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Councillors. Thank you, Wegener. Prioritising the everyday services valued by the community, while minimising costs for the average household, has been the key focus of Noosa Council's 26-27 budget. It's a budget developed in the face of significant property valuation increases, supply chain pressures, rising material costs and heightened global uncertainty.
00:25:00 Through all this, our priority has been work to meet the expectations of our community, a community who want their Council to provide good quality services and well-maintained assets, while keeping costs as low as possible for the average rate payer. Fortunately, Noosa Council's financial sustainability over decades has allowed us to retain the cost of living pressures faced by households. While this year's land valuation increased an average of 37% across the Shire, the minimum of general rates rise and this year's budget has been kept to a total of 6.9%. This means that the majority of owner-occupier rate payers can expect a rise of $2.58 per week or $134 over this financial year. We've been mindful of cost of living pressures faced by households. This is why the on-time rates payment discount of 5% or, as calculated, $77 on those on
00:26:00 the minimum general rate on this year's budget has been retained, and also the full pension rates rebate worth up to $230 for eligible property owners. We put a freeze on most levies, apart from a $5.55 increase in the sustainable transport levy. The bulk of expenditure goes towards a $56 million capital works program, plus $29 million in disaster recovery work in the hinterland. Noosa's waste bin collection charge remains among the lowest when benchmarked against other Queensland councils. The waste charge will increase by $0.08 a week per residential property, or $44 a year, to reflect rising costs of household waste collections and the state levy, plus the need to invest in improving recycling options and safety at their resource recovery site. A $56 million capital works budget will deliver a targeted program that will reduce the cost of household waste in the hinterland to maintain and improve the essential assets, infrastructure and services that support our Shire and residents. With more than 60 projects across coastal and hinterland communities, there's a strong focus
00:27:00 on renewing ageing infrastructure, enhancing transport and recreational networks, protecting the natural environment, all the while supporting our connected and resilient Noosa community. The scale of this year's capital budget reflects both community need and the realities of delivering infrastructure in a tough economic environment. Climbing construction costs, supply chain pressures and a competitive contractor market continue to challenge councils Australia-wide. Across the Shire, more than $8 million has been allocated to major bridge renewals in Tewantin and Munna Point Bridge and Noosa Heads. The Dunanna Lake Bridge renewal, which starts next month, is jointly funded by the Australian Government and will extend the life of this vital transport link by about 50 years. We've committed over $10 million to Shire-wide road reseals, heavy patching and gravel road network programs. This includes $5.9 million for the annual road reseal program, $1.5 million, a new allocation
00:28:00 for targeted safety upgrades on priority sections of unsealed roads, and $511,000 to relay our gravel roads as part of the established scheduled road grading program. These investments help us better prioritise work across the Shire. Waste infrastructure received nearly $15 million towards improving resource recovery and recycling infrastructure. Subject to security and grant funding, a significant allocation has been set aside for a composting facility for the Shire. Safety and meeting government waste regulations at the Noosa Resource Recovery Centre and landfill is also high on the capital works program. Recreation and community facilities benefit, with $7 million directed towards upgrades at the Noosa Aquatic Centre, improvements to pathways and active transport infrastructure through the accelerated walking and cycling program, and upgrades to the Cooroy Sports Complex.
4.5 2026/27 BUDGET AND 2026/27 TO 2035/36 LONG-TERM FINANCIAL FORECAST ¶
00:29:00 Every project is more expensive to build this year due to global market volatility and rising costs of materials. But the $13 million in grants secured from the State and Federal Governments will help us deliver a number of projects in this budget and reduce the burden on ratepayers. In addition to these projects, more than $29 million in disaster repair works is scheduled, fully funded through the State and Federal Disaster Reconstruction Program. Some of the highlights of the capital program include $8.8 million for expansion of the Noosa Resource Recovery Centre, $7.8 million for the Doonella Bridge renewal, $5.9 million for the road reseal program, $5.5 million for the Doonan landfill site upgrades, $3.44 million for stormwater drainage improvements across the Shire, $2.8 million for pathway and boardwalk projects across the Shire, $2.49 million for the Cooroy Sports Complex upgrade, $1.6 million for road patching across the Shire, $1.5 million for the Noosa Aquatic
00:30:00 Centre Pools Filtration System upgrade, $647,000 for the Kingfisher Drive Peregian Playground renewal, $635,000 for the Changing Places Facilities upgrade and new facility at Gympie Terrace Noosaville, $486,000 for Living Foreshores Program and Hilton Esplanade, $269,000 for beach access renewals, $238,620 for the Noosa Leisure Centre renewals, and $210,000 for the renewal of rock armour around the Noosa River Noosaville. I do commend all councillors for working diligently on this challenging budget with the best current and future interests of our community in mind. Thank you. Anybody else wish to speak to the budget? Okay. Councillor Phillips: I'll speak to it. Okay, yes, Councillor Phillips. Thank you.
00:31:00 I just had a question, though. Did we have to move the recommendation before we speak to it? No? I could be wrong. Mayor Wilkie: We've suspended standing orders. Okay. To do it with the speech. And I'll allow you to go more than five minutes if you want. And then we'll come to the... This is before the... It's a normal process. Speaker 2: Yeah. Mayor Wilkie: But there'll be a mover and a seconder for when we adopt the budget and long-term financial forecast, and there's an opportunity to speak there as well. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Phillips: My support for this budget today is conditional on a commitment from this organisation to undertake
00:32:00 a full service review. It is time that we critically examine how we spend ratepayers money and ensure every dollar is delivering the greatest possible value for our community. This morning I spoke to a local business owner who made the difficult decision to let a staff member go recently and he was quick to point out that it wasn't because of council or rates but rather a broader economic pressure facing families and businesses right now. That conversation reinforced something for me today. If we are asking our community to continue finding money to pay their rates then we have an obligation to look at our own spending through the same lens and ensure that we are operating as efficiently and responsibly as possible. I have wrestled with this budget, I'll be honest. I've spent a lot of time reading the detail, asking questions, listening to our community and reflecting on what our decisions today will mean for our future. Before I vote I want to talk about a word that gets used a lot in this chamber.
00:33:00 And that word is legacy. It's a word that we hear all the time. It's in strategies and reports and plans and workshops. But legacy isn't a slogan. Legacy is what people are left with because of the decisions we make today. And the decisions we keep making over many years. When I think about why I became a police officer 16 years ago and why I eventually put my hand up to run for council, I keep coming back to the same thing. It's in my DNA to believe in fairness. Fairness not just for a select few but fairness for most. And equality not just for the people with the loudest voices but for the people who quietly get on with life and not ask for much. A belief in responsibility. Taking responsibility for my own decisions and remembering that a seat in this chamber is about service not status. It's also
00:34:00 why I joined the police but also very much why I ran for council. And anyone who knows me knows I won't always agree just to keep the peace. I'll always have an opinion. Sometimes people will agree with it and sometimes they won't. But my opinions aren't driven by emotion. They're driven by my experience, by listening and by doing my best to make the right decision. I have lived here my whole life. I'm raising my family here. I have a mortgage, school fees and the same pressures that thousands of other families are facing across the Shire. And before I became a councillor, I have never filled out a council survey. Not because I didn't care but because I was just busy. I don't think I'm in the minority. Today isn't about me but I just want to talk about thousands of people who simply trust their local council to get on with the job. And that's something I remind myself all the time. Our job isn't just to listen to people who write submissions and email us or stand at the lectern. Our job is to listen to the silence as well. Because the social fabric of every community is
00:35:00 built on trust. And it can be divided by losing trust. That's why I never forget that none of us, none of the money belongs to us. We're warming the chairs for four years. We adopt four budgets. That's it. Every dollar belongs to someone else. Everyone, every dollar belongs to someone. Maybe working overtime. Maybe trying to pay off their mortgage. Maybe trying to find a job. Maybe someone on a fixed pension. Someone running a business. Someone wondering if they'll afford another rate rise. Before I support spending money, I'm going to always ask myself a simple question. Would I spend my own family's money this way? And if the answer's no, I don't think I'm comfortable spending anyone else's. I don't think anyone in this room would disagree with aspiration. But I do think we have to ask ourselves, who do we think we're leaving this community better for? Because I do hope it's not for only
00:36:00 those that can afford it. I really care deeply about protecting our environment, and I always will. But local government isn't always about choosing between environment and then the community. It's about getting the balance right. And I do believe that this council has possibly lost that balance. Not because of the councillors, sorry, not because councillors didn't care, not because anyone had bad intentions, but because budget after budget, year after year, the dial kept moving in one direction. And at the same time, council made a conscious decision to keep rates low, many times under CPI, and possibly celebrated keeping rates low. Rates low while committing future generations to aspirations. So who is eventually going to pay? Keeping rates under CPI sounded reasonable and responsible back then. But, you know, while rates were being constrained, the organisation continued to grow, and service levels expanded and new priorities emerged. The scope of what council was trying to do became
00:37:00 bigger and bigger. Somethings had to give. Too often, it was the things people didn't immediately notice. Asset renewal possibly deferred, infrastructure aged, maintenance was pushed into future budgets, and the fundamentals of local government slowly slipped down the priority list. And eventually, the bill always arrives. And that's where I've found myself today. Today's ratepayers are being asked to fund the consequences of yesterday's legacy decisions. We will see it in ageing sporting facilities, community buildings that have been patched instead of renewed, toilet box that should have been replaced years ago. Volunteers are spending their weekends writing grant applications just to replace infrastructure that should have been planned for. Then we call those grants assistance. Assistance in what? Helping volunteers do the job that good long-term planning could have already done. I don't think that's a legacy I would
00:38:00 like to leave. Legacy isn't always about what's measured on what we build. It's measured on what we chose to neglect. That's why I believe this organisation now needs to look inwards. If we're asking our community to contribute more, they deserve the same from a commitment from us. I do want to see a general review of this organisation. I want to see us challenge whether our structure is still fit for purpose. I want to ask, can we be leaner, more efficient, or more disciplined with spending public money? And I want our community to see that we are prepared to reduce our own costs before asking them to continue carrying one more burden. Because leadership isn't asking community to tighten its belt. Leadership is being prepared to tighten our own first. I do want to acknowledge something very important. This year's budget process has been very transparent, probably the most I've seen in my term. The acting director and the finance team have
00:39:00 been nothing short of professional, responsive, and diligent through this process. So today, my speech is not about them. It's the cumulative effect of our decisions that have been made over the years. For me, local government should always start with basics. Protect our environment, absolutely, but we need to maintain our assets. Invest in community infrastructure. Support our volunteers. Deliver core services well. Spend ratepayers' money as carefully as we would spend our own. Because it isn't our money. It's borrowed trust. Every budget we adopt is an opportunity to either strengthen that trust or weaken it. And I want this community to know that every decision I make starts with the same question. Is this fair? Is this fair to today's ratepayer? And fair to future generations? And fair to every community across this Shire, not just the loudest voices? One day, every one of us will leave this chamber. Someone else will warm the chairs. What will remain is the legacy that we leave behind.
00:40:00 Not what we said, not what we promised, but what we protected and what we chose not to neglect. And that is the legacy that I hope I am remembered for. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Phillips. Anyone else wish to speak? Shall we move to – I'll speak. We need to introduce Councillor Stockwell. Councillor Lorentson: Councillor Stockwell. Mayor Wilkie: Sorry, Councillor Stockwell, I just noticed Councillor Wilson had a hand up for some time. We'll allow Councillor Wilson to go first. I'm happy to wait. Councillor Wilson. Councillor Wilson: You go first. You go first if you want to head it. But I do want to speak. Mayor Wilkie: All right, Councillor Wilson, you've had your hand up, so we'll go with you. Okay. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Councillor Wilson: Firstly, I want to thank the finance team for the work that goes into preparing the budget over many months.
00:41:00 I looked back at my speech from last year's budget and some of it I'm going to repeat. Every year when Council sets a budget, it also publishes a 10-year forecast. And it's clear when we're looking ahead, costs are always going up. They never go down. That means the income from rates must also increase to absorb those costs. Our Enterprise Award sets our wage increases. Our suppliers mostly dictate our materials and services price increases, but not what we choose to do or buy. So on some level, Council has built in cost estimates. There are escalations that we have to cover. And without a growing population or rate base, that means an increase for every rate payer. Our budget process starts with projecting operating costs across the departments to maintain services as they are. Our budget operating expenses for 2027 are $163.5 million compared with $151.6 million in 2026, an increase of $12 million.
00:42:00 Wages are increasing from $59 million to $63.8 million, an increase of $4.8 million. Materials and services are increasing from $66 million to $71.7 million, an increase of $5.7 million. Depreciation is increasing from $23.5 million to $25.4 million, an increase of $2 million. And this is our main contributor to Renewal Capital Works. That's a $12.5 million increase in expenses, offset by finance costs, reducing from $2.9 million to $2.4 million, a saving of half a million. Once we arrive at the total cost base, we have to find the operating income to recover it. To be financially sustainable, Council needs an operating surplus each year, regardless of the bank balance. The operating surplus ratio is one of the nine sustainability ratios.
00:43:00 Council has to comply with, and we aim to just meet it with a small surplus. If we end the year in a better position, we top up our reserves to spend on emerging capital works. This could be due to an underspend in expenses or through higher than anticipated revenue from user pay services or bank interest. I support staff being paid a fair wage and service levels being maintained on our roads, bridges, parks and facilities. However, I'm not just going to keep it up. I'm going to keep accepting an increase of $12 million, or 9% each year, without questioning whether every dollar is needed. Surely we can find some efficiencies, review our workforce, reprioritise projects and expenses. Maybe there are services we no longer need to deliver, or cheaper ways of doing them with new technology. At this stage, I can't hand on heart say we couldn't have shaved off some expense here. I do want to talk briefly about the BIN collection fees. There are huge costs in operating a landfill site, in sorting and moving the waste safely, maintaining compliance with environmental standards, managing the increasing levies and goals set by the state government, and setting aside funds for the huge task of remediating the site once it reaches the end of life.
00:44:00 Each piece of waste creates a cost today, and for future generations, and I really recommend a tour of the landfill site to understand what is involved. If you're on the standard 3 BIN service, you're paying less than $10 per week for your BINs to be collected, and I can really see value in that. In making decisions around rates, we're able to consider the types of land use, the different categories of ratepayers, and the types of use we want to encourage or deter. We aim to make sure the minimum ratepayers, which is over 60% of the ratepayer base, are the least impacted by the rise. This year sees an increase from $1,943 to $2,077 per year for the total rates bill.
00:45:00 That's an increase of $134, which means those on the minimum rate are paying under $40 per week, including the BIN collection, to access all of council services and facilities, and our public roads, bridges, parks, beaches. On that perspective, it's worth value. But that doesn't mean we're going to be able to do anything about it. It doesn't mean we don't question every dollar spent. And I believe that's why the community put me here. The $56 million capital budget focuses on roads, bridges, transport, waste management, community facilities, stormwater, pathways and parks. We have to keep investing in our infrastructure when we are hit with increasing visitors and extreme weather events. However, with this year's $50 million budget only half spent and refaced into the next year, I'm not convinced we can deliver this project. But I hope I'm wrong. Last year I ended up by saying this budget is founded in the basics. No new strategies, plans and initiatives.
00:46:00 Completing what we've started and what we've committed to with the destination management plan, short stay letting, parking plan, customer service and housing initiatives. I hope to be able to stand here next year, that's now, to say we delivered it for our residents and ratepayers. I'm not sure that I can say we've delivered all of those things. So I will keep asking the questions, including, do we need more plans? Or should we focus on implementation? Meanwhile, I encourage feedback. I'm happy to answer questions. If you have ideas of where we could cut costs or services, I'd love to hear from you. That's it. Thanks. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Wilson. Councillor Stockwell. Speaker 1: Thank you. Yes. So one of the things we've said about our budgeting process is that we're guided by our community's input, the community consultation we've done, and the priorities that come out of that that are adopted through our strategies and our plans.
00:47:00 So I'm going to take a little walk through some of the key elements of the budget that actually reflect how we're investing in the implementation of those plans. So nearly every consultation we do, whether it's a livability survey, whether it's the corporate plan, the number one ask from our community for a number of years has been increasing the network for cycling and walking. So we've had a standard allocation for the implementation of the walking and cycling plan. And this year, we've doubled it to over a million dollars for that budget item. We've had one of the key areas where we have in our waste plan is to improve the facilities, to focus on reducing our waste stream by recycling more. And so when we look at $15.1 million allocated to the waste management plan in this budget, we're looking at initiatives that are doing that.
00:48:00 So the options subject to funding are partial, at least for turning our green waste into compost. Which is a much more high value product for our gardens and our farmers, but also to improve the resource recovery pad so that we have a safer environment for our workers and an easier place to drop off your recycle recyclables like concrete. We look at our zero emissions and our desire under the climate change response plan to reduce councils emissions. And this year we've managed to increase our standard allocation up to $738,000. And that's partially as a result of a funding grant for clean energy upgrades. Now, we could talk about that in terms of reducing emissions, but obviously most of those projects actually reduce our operating costs.
00:49:00 So it's really an efficiency grant. We then move on to things like the Eastern Beaches foreshore management plan. So while it might not be immediately obvious. We have significantly increased the operational funding for the implementation of that plan up to $170,000. We've also investing into $269,000 into Shire beach accesses. And that's, you know, obviously the beaches are one of our most valued assets from both our community and our visitors. And we really need to focus our attention on maintaining their quality. The Pomona placemaking plan is once again, we're implementing that via those capital works projects like the footpaths in the last budget or the current budget. But we've included in this budget the continuation of the quick winds budget for around $50,000, but also a native plant trail in the Cooroora Park.
00:50:00 One of our biggest initiatives in the last year has been the adoption of the destination management plan. And in our operational budget, we have put in extra funds to start some of those actions that Council is responsible for. But what we haven't been able to do is further an action which was thought to be a good thing by the majority of those who gave feedback. And that was 67% of people thought that paid parking with some form of resident exemption was a good idea. Now, having just been to the Blue Mountains Council area, which has introduced a paid parking for visitors with the residents currently exempt, I think that's a really key consideration. And I hope that when we come to later budget reviews this year, we can actually put aside money to further investigate how we can start implementing that. Because there's other things that we haven't been able to afford to do. While we've been very successful in getting grants to implement the Noosa Trail map,
00:51:00 we haven't been able to find the additional operating costs of this budget to actually maintain them. And what we could easily see is that things that we can't afford at the moment could be funded easily if we have a form of income coming from our daytrippers. And that's obviously what paid parking is an option for. So overall, I think we have done a good job in furthering those strategies. While trying to maintain our focus on minimising the rate rise to our minimum general rate holders. And that is the vast majority of our local residents. This year, as was mentioned, we had a 37% increase in valuation, but that valuation isn't even across the board. Some areas like rural properties went up, others not so much. So we had to increase the value of a property.
00:52:00 The unimproved land value up to over a million dollars now, still being within a minimum general rate category. But we've also ensured that other forms of investment, such as the transitory rate, is also contributing to the impact they have on our rate base and on the use of our assets. And that is one of the areas where it's gone up above the 6.9%. So overall, I think we have got the balance right. And if we can implement what we plan to with the allocations in this budget, I'm sure the community can be satisfied that we're progressing along there. Preferred priorities as outlined in all the strategies and plans and surveys that we've done in recent years. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Stockwell. Any other councillors wish to speak? Councillor Larison.
00:53:00 Councillor Lorentson: Excuse me. Before anything else, I want to thank the officers in particular, Mark and Zach, and your team who prepared this budget. It's a significant body of work. Thank you also to my fellow councillors and most importantly to the community. The people of Noosa place their trust in us to make good decisions with their money. And that trust is something, not something any of us should take for granted. I'll be voting yes to support the budget today. Under the Local Government Act, without an adopted budget, Council can't lawfully spend, can't pay staff and can't deliver services. That obligation is the primary reason I'm supporting this. But a yes vote doesn't mean I'm satisfied with the direction we're heading. It means that I think the right thing to do is to keep this organisation moving while being honest about what needs to change. On its numbers, the budget sounds great.
00:54:00 A net surplus of $45.9 million, an operating surplus, an $84.4 million capital works program. Every financial sustainability ratio met. I do want to note that the capital program of $84.4 million is funded through grants, depreciation, reserves, borrowings and reserve transfer. It's not funded through rates. I also want to acknowledge that this budget continues our investment in the environment. From the environment levy and bushfire resilience levy through to coastal foreshore works and bioretention basin renewals. These are important commitments and I want to see them maintained even as we get tougher on discretionary spending elsewhere. But I have five concerns that I would like on the record. First, infrastructure design standards.
00:55:00 In April this year, the International Scientific Committee, responsible for the official United Nations climate scenarios, retired its most extreme emissions pathways as implausible, substantially reducing the plausible worst case for sea level rise by 2100. I'm not raising this to debate climate policy. Climate risks are very real. I'm raising it because some of our upcoming coastal and infrastructure projects may still be designed to the now retired scenario. And if so, we could be spending more than we need to. I'd like council to confirm our design standards have been reviewed in light of this change. Second, our long term asset position. Our own forecast project projects the asset sustainability ratio falling below the state government benchmark for several years. Reaching 54.1% by 2030-2031. If we're not keeping pace with infrastructure renewal, that cost doesn't disappear.
00:56:00 It just shows up later as deferred maintenance or as a future rate pressure. I want a credible long term asset strategy, not just annual compliance with ratios. Third, our exposure to external funding and external shocks. More than half our capital program, 42.6 million, comes from external grants, including 29.2 million in disaster recovery works. The Commonwealth has recently announced plans to shift to a 50-50 disaster recovery funding split. Queensland and the LGAQ are fighting it. But if it proceeds, we are directly exposed. And beyond that, this budget is adopted in, and beyond that, this budget is also adopted in a genuinely uncertain global environment. Shifting trade relationships, supply chain disruptions, construction sector inflation.
00:57:00 These affect what we can deliver for every dollar we spend. I want genuine resilience built into how we plan, not just ratios that look healthy on paper. Fourth, purpose-built resorts. I've raised this before and I'll keep raising it. These are not the same as short-term accommodation generally. And they shouldn't, in my opinion, be rated in a similar way. And that disparity today remains unresolved. And I'll keep pressing for it. Fifth, the fraud. Last year, we confirmed that 1.7 million of rate-paced funds was lost. 2.3 million stolen, 640,000 recovered to an AI-driven social engineering attack. Council acknowledged that human error contributed to the failures in our internal controls. This budget is largely silent on what's changed to prevent it happening again.
00:58:00 Rate payers are absorbing an overall 9.1% increase this year. They deserve a clear account of the remediation that's been put in place. I also want to speak to my continuing concern about the inclusion, the sports inclusion officer. And I want to say a little bit more than I did at the general meeting, because I think this deserves to be said plainly rather than absorbed quietly into a budget line. Council's own Sport for All report, which was presented at the general meeting last week, sets out who we are talking about. A median age of 50.5 years in the Shire, well above the Queensland median. 36% of our population here in Noosa are aged 60 and over. 29.6% of residents are living with one or more long-term health conditions. And 5.6% over 3,300 people in this Shire require assistance due to a profound or severe disability.
00:59:00 That's not a marginal group. That's thousands of residents for whom the practical accessibility of this Shire is not a nice-to-have. It's the difference between participating in community life and being quietly excluded from it. The $70,000 role that engaged 25 clubs, progressed 16 inclusion plans and trained almost 150 people hasn't been continued. While $140,000 has been found for a social strategy. I understand the value of a strategy. But a plan is not a person. It doesn't return a phone call. And it doesn't sit with a family and work out what's actually possible for them. This is personal for me. Years ago I advocated and fought for the all-access beach mat. Something that sounds really simple. I found funding through our wonderful MP Sandy Bolton and the extraordinary Tewantin Noosa Lions Club.
01:00:00 And yet it still wasn't supported until our former Mayor, living herself with a disability, understood why it mattered so much and backed me. I invite every councillor in this room to join me at the next Seahorse Nipper program. A program designed for children with disability. Come and speak to the families raising those children and ask them why. And Sports Inclusion Officer matters. Residents don't want the big plans and commitments. They want the practical work that makes this Shire usable for everyone who lives here. How we spend our money shows what we value. And from the outside it could look like plans matter more than the people in the Shire. On this I think we have fallen short. And I want that said plainly rather again absorbed quietly into a budget line. I want to finish with something from yesterday. Yesterday I met with residents from Cooroy.
01:01:00 They didn't ask me about strategies. They didn't ask me about plans. They asked about roads, footpaths, rubbish collection and keeping rates down. I was able to tell them that this budget includes a $1.5 million for gravel road sealing and safety. Proposed to continue for 10 years subject to annual budget approval. That's real. But $1.5 million a year across a Shire this size doesn't go very far. And that's exactly why getting our spending priorities right. Matters so much. Those residents weren't asking for more spending. They were asking us to spend better. And I'm going to say it out loud. I think we have a spending problem. Not in the sense that we're fiscally reckless. The numbers in this budget show that we're not. But over time we've accumulated too many commitments.
01:02:00 Too many programs. Too many projects. That each have individual merit. But collectively crowd out the things people are actually asking for. Roads, footpaths, rubbish. Keeping rates down. We need to be willing to say no. To defer things. To cut things. And go back to the basics. And we need to do that with genuine long-term thinking behind it. This is the second consecutive year of above inflation rate increases. And the community's trust is not a blank check. The decisions we make now have consequences for the next council. And the one after that. We have an obligation not to defer hard decisions. Not to push costs into the future. And not to leave the next group of elected representatives a set of problems we were too uncomfortable. We were too comfortable to confront. Long-term planning isn't a document on a shelf. It's a willingness to make difficult calls now. So the community isn't paying for our board in Slater.
01:03:00 I'm supporting this budget today because that's the right call. But a yes vote today for me is not a signal that I'm satisfied. It's a commitment from me that I will keep pushing for better. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Morrison. Any other councillors wish to deliver a budget speech? Okay. We now move that standing, I now move that standing orders be resumed. May I have a seconder? Councillor Wilson: I have a second. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Phillips. All in favour? Councillor Wilson: Yes. Mayor Wilkie: That's carried. Aye. Which brings us to item 4.5, which is the budget and 26-27 to 20-35-36 long-term financial forecast. And again, we have Acting Director Gay. Welcome, Margaret. Speaker 2: Thank you. The Shire Council is fulfilling one of its most important responsibilities, adopting the annual budget. This budget sets Council's financial direction for the next 12 months and underpins the delivery of essential services, infrastructure projects and community programs across our region.
01:04:00 Under the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council is required to adopt a budget for each financial year. The budget before us today represents the result of careful planning, extensive analysis and alignment with our long-term goals. As outlined in the Corporate Plan and our Financial Sustainability Policy. The total recommended budget for the 26-27 year of $248 million is made up of $163.5 million in operating expenditure, which funds day-to-day services such as waste collection, parks and facilities, maintenance, customer service, community programs and many more. $84.4 million in capital investments includes $27.5 million for asset renewals. The total recommended budget for the 26-27 year is $248 million. $27.7 million for upgrades and new infrastructure projects and $29.2 million of recovery works associated with recent natural disaster events, with these works being fully funded through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
01:05:00 Excluding disaster recovery works, Council's capital investment for the 26-27 year is proposed as $55.2 million. Council continues to be impacted by the same inflationary pressures that our residents are experiencing. Rising costs across labour, asphalt, concrete, utilities, construction materials and service contracts. These cost pressures are also contributing to a flow-on increase in depreciation expense. Despite these challenges, through prudent financial management, strong interest revenue and ongoing efforts to ensure our fees and charges fully reflect cost pricing and reduce costs, reduce cross-subsidisation. Today, Council is presenting a balanced budget with a forecast operating surplus of a small $42,000. Council must report both its operating surplus from a service delivery and net result, which includes capital funding received from grants, subsidies, developers and other contributors.
01:06:00 So the net result of $45.9 million includes government capital grants and subsidies of $42.6 million for projects including recovery projects and new infrastructure projects. The recovery works of $29.2 million and the renewal of the Tewantin Doonella Bridge at $3.9 million. Donated capital roads and stormwater assets of $1.6 million and capital monetary contributions of $1.6 million. The net result excludes capital expenditure as required under the accounting standards. However, this funding ultimately contributes to the delivery of our capital works program. Over the 10-year outlook period, with the exception of the asset sustainability roadmap, Council's forecasted results are well within the bounds set by the Queensland State Government and under the sustainability framework. The asset sustainability ratio reflects the makeup of Council's forward capital works program with a significant focus on renewal works from 26-27 to 29-30.
01:07:00 And it is worth noting that over the 10-year forecast period, the average for this ratio is well within the Queensland State Government benchmark. Council's asset management plans are currently being updated. With these improved plans to further inform Council's future operating and capital works programs and, in turn, the asset sustainability ratio. I commend this budget to Council for formal consideration. Thank you. Any questions, Councillors? Mayor Wilkie: I'm happy to move it. We have a seconder. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson. Any Councillors wish to speak? Councillor Wegener? Councillor Wegener: Yeah, I'd just like to congratulate and thank Mark and Zach and the team for the hard work that they've done. I think we've heard from just about every Councillor that there is a concern that perhaps we're not keeping up with the asset management and things like that.
01:08:00 That about three years ago, one of the directors said, gosh, we've cut our budget to the bone. And since then, I think we've continued cutting in relation to the amount of... expenses going up. So although we're pulling in more money from rates and things, we're not keeping up. And that's something that we've heard reflected here in the speeches today. I'm looking forward to this next year because I believe we're really going to have a good, long, hard look at the budget. And start and review the process, but also really look further into the future and have our 10... year asset management plan, which is, I think, really going to be helpful for the next year's budget and for at least in the long term. So, thank you. Thank you, Councillor Wegener. Mayor Wilkie: Councillor Finzel. Thank you. Yes, Councillor Wilson after Councillor Finzel. Oh, sure. Councillor Finzel: Okay, thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Councillors, executive staff and members of the Noosa community. Thank you for coming together today as we share the Noosa Shire Council budget.
01:09:00 Through the Chair, I'd like to express my thanks to the Mayor and Councillors around the table, the CEO and the staff who've committed to a long-term timeframe to deliver this. The budget is difficult at this time, given there's the global pressures, fiscal policies, high debt and rising rates. And I think that's reflected in the challenges that have faced us before us today. But however, the beauty of this Noosa Shire and its community is one about resilience. As a long-term residents here, this budget reflects more than numbers on a page. It reflects what we value as a community, the choices we make together and the future we wanted to create for Noosa. When we think about Noosa, we know it is so much more than a place. It is a coastline we protect, the landscapes we cherish and the villages we connect.
01:10:00 The stories we carry and the people who make this community feel like home. As we look ahead, we recognise that many people are navigating challenging times, including myself and others around the table. We all live here. We play here. We raise our families here. And those pressures on our household budgets are experienced by each and every one of us. Rising living costs, housing pressures, global uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and increasing costs of delivering services are challenges affecting family, business and council alike. This is why this has been a time together spent over many workshops of careful planning, responsible financial management matters, including our commitment that was heard around the table today
01:11:00 to continue robustly looking at our policies, our strategies and what informs our expenditure. We are all committed here to continuous growth and rigorously unpacking the status quo. Our financial policies underpin the 26-27 budget supporting the Noosa Corporate Plan and, of course, most importantly, sitting at the heart and centre of that is the voice of our people. Guiding sustainable investment, responsible resource management and decisions that protect community priorities, strengthen resilience and deliver long-term value for our residents now and into the future. Financial sustainability is not about simply balancing the budget. It is about creating the capacity to continue delivering the things that matter most, to our community. And I think we've heard that around the table today as each councillor has represented the people in their community
01:12:00 and as we all do together. It is about maintaining roads, parks, facilities and public spaces. It is about protecting our natural environment and investing in the places where people gather, connect and create memories. It is about recognising that wellbeing is built through community connection. Our environment, arts, culture, heritage and shared spaces all contribute to the identity and sense of belonging that make Noosa unique. The strongest decisions, in my opinion, come from listening while navigating unprecedented change and facilitating equity through the real human struggle that affects us all. Meaningful community engagement helps Council understand the priorities, ideas and concerns of residents, businesses, community groups and the traditional owners.
01:13:00 By working together, we can ensure decisions reflect local values and the aspirations of the people who call Noosa home. When we listen to each other, trust grows. When we work together, stronger outcomes are achieved. As we look to the future, there will always be challenges. But there is also great opportunity when a community comes together with a shared purpose. Our future is shaped by all of us. Through the conversations we have, the choices we make and the care we show for this place and for one another. Together, I believe, we can continue to create a Noosa that is connected, sustainable, inclusive and strong. Underpinned by the commitment that each one of these Councillors who have been elected to this position commit to this Shire and their roles daily.
01:14:00 A place where people feel they belong, where our environment is valued and where future generations can proudly say this is home. Thank you, everyone. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Finzel. Councillor Wilson. Councillor Wilson: Thank you. I will speak in support of the motion and in support of the budget, but just also just wanted to make a few points. Thank you, Councillor Lorentson, for reminding me of one of these. I do want to see changes in the way that we treat managed resorts. And I have been talking about this since becoming a councillor. I don't believe resorts should be treated as an FCA. And I really hope that in this budget, we were going to be able to resolve that issue and separate them out into their own category. We want tourists in tourist accommodation. We want them out of the residential zones and houses. So these ratepayers shouldn't all be treated the same. Those resort owners are paying a minimum of $3,850 per year on the transitory rate.
01:15:00 Other than that, it's great that we're in a strong position and can deliver a surplus, especially with low debt. But being financially sustainable doesn't simply mean pushing rates up every year to keep covering increased expenses. So I do want to see a full review of operations and I will keep questioning our expenses and our priorities. That's it. Thanks. Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Councillor Wilson. Anybody else wish to speak to the motion? I'll close. I'd like to use this opportunity to, again, express thanks for our hardworking executive team and especially Acting Director for Corporate Services, Margaret Gatt, and Financial Services Manager, Zach. You've provided an opportunity for us to rigorously debate. I think it was over 100 staff and council initiatives.
01:16:00 That could have been included in this budget, but were rigorously debated and looked at and challenged. And so we've ended up only with very, very few initiatives that are basically following through on things that we'd already started. And through the process, councillors were very focused on making sure that what we funded were the things that the community did want and asked us for. And we've got documented evidence of that through this budget. We've got the Livability Survey, Customers Satisfaction Survey, and what the community tell us every day. They want their money spent on roads, better waste facility services, diverting waste from landfills so we keep the costs down at that facility. Also parks, gardens, walking and cycling, libraries, facilities. There's very little money spent on things that the community has not asked us for.
01:17:00 And I think everyone around this table has been very focused in that regard. And that's why we've ended up with a budget which in other times might be described as back to basics or no frills. Because there's very little waste anywhere. And we've focused on what we know the community has asked us for. And we're always open to reviewing our processes. This whole eight to ten budget workshop process was very rigorous in itself. And policies that underpin the way the budget is shaped is always under scrutiny. And I'm sure in the lead up to next year's budget we're going to be doing that. We also had rigorous discussion around STA, how we treat them, owned and managed resorts. We were able to give special on-site managed resorts special reduction in local laws fees. It's only a fraction of what are charged to whole house short-term accommodation properties.
01:18:00 And we all have an understanding that short-term accommodation properties are levied at a higher rate because we all agreed through the destination management plan and other policy decisions that we wanted to find more ways in which to have visitors contribute to the upkeep of our infrastructure and to ease the burden on our residential ratepayers. And despite increasing costs and a state land valuation increase that averaged 37% across the Shire and in some areas was over 100%, we've managed through being quite hard and disciplined and focused in reducing the minimum general rate increase to 6.9% or $2.58 per week. And as Councillor Wilson said, residents can access services, the full services that local governments provide
01:19:00 for less than $40 a week, which is very good value. And as we know, local governments only collect 3% of the total tax take and need to provide 33% of services with that. So we do, are very conscious of spending the money out in the community on the services, facilities that they need. And that's what the community has been asking for with very little waste. And it's very difficult. And not everyone got what they wanted for this budget, that's for sure. But today is not about us. It's all about the community. And I commend this budget as the fruits of the work that every councillor around this table has done and the staff in service of this community. Thank you. We put the motion. Those in favour? Speaker 1: Aye. Mayor Wilkie: Yes. That's unanimous. The motion's carried. There is no confidential session. Item six, meeting closure. Declare the meeting closed at 2.22pm.
5 CONFIDENTIAL SESSION ¶
Nothing was transcribed under this heading — a stretch of the recording with no speech the model could make out.
6 MEETING CLOSURE ¶
01:20:00 Thank you everybody for another, the work you've done in another annual budget. Well done.