Brisbane City Council budget in 545 words

By Steve Zeppa

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner delivered the Brisbane City Council budget today.

His speech to Council was 5871 words, but we pulled out the Newsreel scalpel and here are the 545 words you need to know:

Budget delivers on four-point plan:

Build better roads to tackle traffic congestion.
Improve public transport with more services to more places more often.
Make Brisbane’s lifestyle better by investing in the parks, playgrounds and sports fields.
Deliver a balanced Budget.

General rates for Brisbane owner-occupiers will increase by 3.8 per cent. This is about $2 a week extra in total rates.
Continue to fund free off-peak travel for seniors.
Cash rebates of up to $200 for household composting and food waste recycling equipment.
Retain discounted green bins.
Retain $2 Summer Dips.

Complete the Moggill Road Corridor Upgrade Project.
Continue current stage of the Beams Road upgrade.
Deliver Federally-funded black spot projects including along James St in Fortitude Valley, Kessels Rd in Salisbury and Wynnum Rd in Tingalpa.
New and improved turning lanes in The Gap, Sunnybank Hills and Virginia.
Planning and design work for the next round of projects along Kelvin Grove and Enoggera roads, Cavendish Rd, Kitchener and Holdsworth streets in Coorparoo and Underwood Rd in Eight Mile Plains.
Deliver Safer School Precincts commitment initially targeting four areas – Mansfield, Kedron, Indooroopilly and Wynnum Manly.
Launch a global expression of interest process to identify the best traffic management technology, with $15 million for a trial.

Within months, start operating the first Brisbane Metro services.
Take next step to deliver turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro services to northside residents, including planning work for a new Brisbane Metro charging station and depot on the northside.
Progress discussions with the State Government for an Eastern Metro.
$195 million to subsidise public transport services.

Complete the transformation of Murarrie Recreation Reserve.
Progress planning for new sports parks in Pallara and Ellen Grove.
Complete transformation of Archerfield Wetlands District Park from a wastewater treatment plant to parkland.
Progress improvements to the Kingfisher Creek Corridor as part of the Norman Creek Master Plan.
Begin the Kedron Brook Master Plan.
Undertake park and playground upgrades including in Macaranga Crescent Park in Carseldine; Bill Hewitt Reserve in Camp Hill; Glindemann Park in Holland Park.
Improvement projects in New Farm Park, Mount Coot-tha , Mt Gravatt lookouts and Rocks Riverside Park.
New and improved dog parks for Toowong, Bellbowrie, Windsor, Greenslopes, Forest Lake and Nudgee Beach.
Complete the final year of the Sun Safe Suburban Playground program.
Funding to develop a masterplan for the future of the Wynnum, Manly and Lota foreshores.
$1.2 million to upgrade of the children’s playground near the Wynnum Wading Pool.
Improve the Brighton Foreshore.
Citywide assessment to deliver Coffee Carts in Parks plan and lower price for mobile food operators to access, with a $450 annual fee.
$1 million Safer Suburbs Grants for Brisbane’s sports and community clubs where clubs on Council-leased facilities will be eligible for grants of up to $10,000 for security screens, CCTV cameras, alarm systems, improved locks and patrol services.

New local law requiring home owners to prove they have planning approval in order to be licenced by Council to operate as short-stay accommodation. Additionally, they must ensure a property manager is available 24/7 to respond to complaints and pay an annual fee.
Plan to undertake a citywide audit of house-to-business conversions.

Keep Brisbane’s weekly red-top waste collection service.
Pause Brisbane’s food waste recycling trial.
Undertake an investigation into other more effective and less costly ways we can reduce use of landfill.