BCC Budget 2016/17

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Council commits $1.3 billion for major road upgrades to address traffic congestion

BRISBANE City Council will make a significant contribution to tackling the city's congestion with $1.3 billion to be spent on major road upgrades over the next four years.

This morning, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk revealed that his 2016-2017 budget, due to be handed down tomorrow, would provide solutions for traffic and public transport congestion.

On top of the $1.3 billion roads package, a record $360 million will be spent on road network resurfacing.
Cr Quirk said his "record investment" into projects attacking congestion was in response to a "sustained under-investment by the State Government" into congestion busting solutions.

"Over the next four years, my budget will deliver more than 90 road upgrades, with a number of key projects along major arterial roads to move ever-increasing traffic volumes more safely and efficiently," Cr Quirk said.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.

The big project winners were the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade ($316.2 million), Telegraph Rd ($27.6 million), the Inner City Bypass ($29.7 million) and the Wynnum Rd corridor ($44.5 million).

Work on Telegraph Rd and the Inner City Bypass is expected to start within 12 months.

"In total, $516.2 million will be spent on road projects this year, including a long list of suburban upgrades," Cr Quirk said.

Suburban road upgrade projects continuing or starting this year include:

■Progress Road Stage 4: $17.8 million in 16/17

■Wolston Creek Bridge upgrade: $5.6 million in 16/17

■Paradise Road upgrade: $13 million in 16/17

■Boundary Road — Progress Road to Kelliher Road: $15.7 million in 16/17

■Beckett and Hamilton Roads: $1.5 million in 16/17

■Boundary Road at Whites Hill Reserve Access Road: $200,000 in 16/17

■Creek Road, Tick Street and Greenmeadow Road: $2.9 million in 16/17

■Days Road and Kedron Brook Road: $800,000 in 16/17

■Green Camp Road: $1.3 million in 16/17

■Murphy Road and Ellison Road roundabout, Aspley: $1.2 million in 16/17

■Old Cleveland Road: $300,000 in 16/17

■Player Street Connection: $721,000 in 16/17

■Raymont and Grange Roads: $1.7 million in 16/17

■Waterworks Road: $400,000 in 16/17

The budget will also reveal a $90 million investment in resurfacing about 400 streets in the coming year, including:

■$2 million for Old Cleveland Road at Coorparoo

■$1.7 million for Boundary Road at Camp Hill

■$1.4 million for Blunder Road at Durack

■$1.4 million for Fairfield Road at Yeerongpilly

■$1.3 million for Wynnum Road at Wynnum

■$950,000 for Flockton Street in Stafford Heights

■$765,000 for Beams Road in Carseldine.

Cr Quirk said $5.5 million will be allocated for small-scale, high-impact projects such as lane reconfigurations, extensions to turning pockets and line marking alterations.

The 2016-2016 budget will also include increases to council's public transport subsidy and a major contribution to planning investigations for the Brisbane Metro Subway System.

ALP Opposition Leader Councillor Peter Cumming has been contacted for a response.

Cr Quirk will deliver his budget speech at 11am tomorrow.

[ozbob]

I think the ' planning investigations ' for the  ' Brisbane metro subway system ' might surprise them hey?   

[ozbob]

Updated

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/council-commits-13-billion-for-major-road-upgrades-to-address-traffic-congestion/news-story/d46332307d609a718e36fb66f8316666

UPDATE: Brisbane City Council Opposition Leader Peter Cumming has blasted Council's continued commitment to the Kingsford Smith Drive project, labelling it a "colossal waste of ratepayer money".

His comments follow Lord Mayor Quirk's announcement this morning to commit $1.3 billion over the next four years to address traffic congestion in the city.

Included in the budget announcement was Cr Quirk's commitment to allocate $316.2 million to the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade.

"Despite the gold-plated upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive being universally panned by the Opposition, the RACQ and even the council's own business case, which shows spending $650 million will save just one minute of travel time, this colossal waste of ratepayer money remains the Lord Mayor's headline road project," Cr Cumming said.

"Labor's responsible plan was to use $500 million from Kingsford Smith Drive to fund these suburban road upgrades. Graham Quirk is running out of things to sell to pay for it.

"There are no more tolling rights to sell off, no more loans to call in from Queensland Urban Utilities. The cupboard is bare, so one can assume the cost of his folly is going to be shifted to the ratepayers and residents of this city through higher rates and charges.
Opposition Leader Peter Cumming.

"While it is heartening to see the Lord Mayor listened to the Labor Opposition during the election campaign and shifted his focus on to choked suburban roads, with $61 million allocated for upgrades, he is yet to explain how he will pay for it.

"In addition, many of these projects are re-announcements from last year — for example Progress Rd, Boundary Rd, Paradise Rd. This administration announces new projects a number of times before the first sod is ever turned."

Cr Cumming said the community, less than three months after the council election, was seeing

the LNP administration "moving the goalposts" already on their election commitments.

"I noted that during the election campaign the Lord Mayor committed to spending $360 million over four years to resurface 2000 suburban streets." he said.

"Already today, in the first instalment of $90 million, there are just 400 street upgrades in the pipeline. Over four years, that amounts to 1600 streets, not 2000, so they are already falling behind in the first year of this commitment."

[techblitz]

Brisbane Times --> Brisbane City Council budget: Ratepayers to be slugged with 4.7 per cent rise

Brisbane ratepayers will be slugged with an average 4.7 per cent rates increase in 2016-17 when Lord Mayor Graham Quirk hands down his $3 billion budget on Wednesday.

It was almost double the rise in Cr Quirk's pre-election budget last June, which had an average rates increase of just 2.5 per cent.
The 4.7 per cent rates rise was almost three times more than Brisbane's March quarter inflation inflation rate of 1.7 per cent.

The average Brisbane quarterly rates bill is set to increase by about $17.55, or about $1.35 a week, to $346.09.

Last month, the Labor opposition warned of an impending rates rise due to the planned $1.53 billion Brisbane Metro system and, on that count, Cr Quirk will deliver on Wednesday.

Cr Quirk said both operational savings and rate rises were required in his 2016/17 budget to fund the Metro and other projects.
"Brisbane residents for many years have enjoyed the benefits of the lowest minimum rates in south-east Queensland and, although rising in this budget, our minimum rates remain the lowest in the region by a significant margin," he said.

"An increase in this budget allows us to start the heavy lifting to deliver the Brisbane Metro and a $1.3 billion package of road projects attacking congestion.

"Major infrastructure such as the Brisbane Metro would normally be the job of a state government, however, since this state government has no plan to deal with congestion, I am now getting on with the job of delivering a solution.

"While there is a financial impact by delivering such a major project, in this budget and future budgets, I am committed to keeping any rate rises as minimal as possible, which is why I have also delivered savings in operating costs in the current year."

Cr Quirk said the budget was a "positive plan" for the city that would reduce traffic congestion, offer new lifestyle and leisure opportunities and "keep Brisbane's economy heading in the right direction".

"This budget focuses on the infrastructure this city needs going forward, and over the next four years with $1.3 billion allocated for over 90 road projects over four years including Wynnum Road, Telegraph Road, Kingsford Smith Drive and the Inner City Bypass," Cr Quirk said.

"The budget also includes vital funds for new bikeways, the Brisbane Metro and public transport operations, as part of our plan for real action on traffic congestion."

Cr Quirk said his budget would provide the most generous pensioner concessions of any local government in Australia.

He said the council would fund a 40 per cent remission on the rate bill for full pensioners, capped at $967.

Moreton Bay Regional Council raised its rates by an average 2.98 per cent when mayor Allan Sutherland handed down his budget earlier this month.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane City Council budget 2016: Council debt to rise by $1 billion

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Brisbane City Council's 4.7% rate increase equates to about $70 a year for most ratepayers

... Opposition Leader Councillor Peter Cumming said Lord Mayor Quirk's 4.7% "rates slug" was hidden from residents during the campaign.

"It should be no surprise to Brisbane residents that they are being hit with a rates increase triple the rate of inflation just after the election," Cr Cumming said.

"This LNP administration has form when it comes to lulling residents into a false

sense of security with unrealistically low pre-election rates rises.

"Then they slap residents with a huge rates increase as soon as they are back in

office.

"In 2011, just prior to the 2012 election, rates rose a paltry 1.74%, followed by

increases of 4.49%, 3.8% and 3.85%.

"It's irresponsible to be hitting up residents for Metro, when they (council) haven't even

completed a business case to see if the project is viable.

"Already, public transport advocates and planning experts have joined our call for the

Metro to be shelved.

"Any system that doesn't compliment Cross River Rail is a complete waste of

ratepayer money.

"Graham Quirk is more interested in building a monument to himself than delivering

credible, beneficial public transport solutions for this city." ...