BCC Budget 2013/2014

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane ratepayers slugged with $45 extra per year in council budget

BRISBANE residents will pay an average $45 per year more in council rates from July 1.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk will today confirm the average 3.8 per cent increase in residential rates when he hands down Brisbane City Council's $2.9 billion, 2013-14 budget ....

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane budget: rates bill to rise $45.60 a year

[nathandavid88]

The Public transport "highlights" according to the Brisbane Times. BT has to tighten their belt...

Public Transport
Brisbane City Council faces a $16.4  million shortfall over three years, largely because State government has capped state government subsidy at 4.5 per cent;
to cover the $16.4 million shortfall it will reduce the planned 90 new buses a year to 60 new buses a year;
it will close down the Bowen Hills bus depot and shift staff to the new Trade Coast bus depot by October 2013;
it will close down the Richlands bus depot and concentrates activities and shift the 25 drivers to the Sherwood Bus Depot.

New Farm to Howard Smith Wharves Riverwalk
$55 million in 2013 and $8 million in 2014-15;
And $56.5 million over two years for ongoing repairs to ferry terminals from January 2011 floods.

New CityCat and ferry stops
Milton CityCat $2.73 million in 2013-14 and $2.01 million in 2014-15;
Bulimba ferry terminal upgrade $5.8 billion in 2013-14;
$5.2 million for new CityCat ferries over two years.


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-city-council-budget-highlights-20130612-2o37c.html#ixzz2VxqG89Ks

And from the horse's mouth...

However the Lord Mayor and his finance chairman Julian Simmonds also revealed significant changes to Brisbane's public transport operations and services they said were brought about by the state government's decision to cap funding at 4 per cent of growth each year to pay for a reduction in the fares increase from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent annually.

‘‘Even with an increased contribution from council in 2013-14 of over $798 million, the budget papers indicate a loss on public transport operations of over $16 million in this year alone if decisive action is not taken,’’ Cr Quirk said.

This action equates to more bus reviews, including one  targeted at the operations of the council's bus division - Brisbane Transport - to find $3.2 million in ‘‘efficiencies’’, a review of the CityCat and bus timetables for the sake of ‘‘optimisation’’, and a strategic review of the council's bus depot portfolio.

But Cr Quirk said the optimisation and efficiencies-finding would not result in job losses or dramatic changes to the number of bus services operating in the city.

Rather the council intends to cut back on the number of new drivers hired each year, and amalgamate two bus depots - one at Richlands and one at Bowen Hills - into other sites at Willawong and the yet-to-be-completed TradeCoast depot at Eagle Farm.

The council would  also build fewer new buses, Cr Simmonds said, with the council to keep its commitment to 90 new vehicles annually only for this budget, cutting back to 60 new buses from 2015.


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/public-transport-rates-and-parking-fee-changes-in-nothing-sexy-budget-20130612-2o37p.html#ixzz2Vxk9ib5l

[ozbob]

Twitter

Cr Milton Dick ‏@CrMiltonDick 9m

Council budget reveals more cuts to Public Transport on the way - paying more getting less. #goingbackwards

===============

[ozbob]

Twitter

Team Quirk ‏@Team_Quirk 16m

LM @Team_Quirk remains committed to World Class Public T'port system - fleet of 1200 buses 100% air cond 90% disability accessible this year

===============

[ozbob]

Queensland Polyticks < ---- 

[somebody]

Twitter

Team Quirk ‏@Team_Quirk 16m

LM @Team_Quirk remains committed to World Class Public T'port system - fleet of 1200 buses 100% air cond 90% disability accessible this year

===============

What's bad about accessible, A/C buses?  Are there too many of them?

[ozbob]

Who said they are bad.  You are imagining things again Simon ....

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane ratepayers slugged with $45 extra per year in council budget

... Residents in restricted traffic areas will also be slugged up to $25 a household to park outside their houses under changes to residential permit systems ...

Oh dear, sure to get a few protests ..

Also the rates discount for early payments has been done away with as well for commercial properties (guess that includes investment properities as well).  Was 15%.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Team Quirk ‏@Team_Quirk 3m

Brisbane City Council Annual Plan and Budget 2013/14 now online. http://ow.ly/lWtVF  #bcc #budget

[somebody]

Who said they are bad.  You are imagining things again Simon ....

The eye roll says that something is bad.

[ozbob]

You don't say ...  lol

[ozbob]

Will closures of Richlands and Bowen Hills bus depots increase non revenue running?

I see a lot of not in service buses along Sherwood Road / Rocklea / Fairfield Road these days  ...

[ozbob]

... a review of the CityCat and bus timetables for the sake of ''optimisation'', and a strategic review of the council's bus depot portfolio ...

Be nice to think they might take into account rail timetables too?

[nathandavid88]

Twitter

Team Quirk ‏@Team_Quirk 16m

LM @Team_Quirk remains committed to World Class Public T'port system - fleet of 1200 buses 100% air cond 90% disability accessible this year

===============

What's bad about accessible, A/C buses?  Are there too many of them?

I think ozbob's eye roll is with regards to Quirky's "World Class Public T'port system" line.

I wonder whether the funding cap and associated savings drive might actually force BT to make proper changes to the way they run the buses and how to optimise efficiency. Maybe we will end up getting service changes closer to the original Translink review's proposals after all?

[ozbob]

Yes, already a number of citizens are suggesting just that ...

eg.

Twitter

Pete ‏@PeteFTD 1h

Hey @team_quirk, if you want to find efficiencies in the bus network, have a look at the @TransLinkSEQ bis review. #bnebudget #qldpol

[#Metro]

Clearly more 'con and air than they expected, LOL.

Good to see TransLink not being used as an ATM and a lapdog to rip ever increasing amounts of cash from.

[#Metro]

Funny how BT "suddenly" found efficiencies when pressed. 

'Even with an increased contribution from council in 2013-14 of over $798 million, the budget papers indicate a loss on public transport operations of over $16 million in this year alone if decisive action is not taken,'' Cr Quirk said.

I have a suggestion - cut off the Stones Corner Leg of the Maroon CityGlider!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

12th June 2013

BCC Budget - bus changes to continue

Greetings,

We have always maintained that the TransLink bus review was the right thing to do. Failure to introduce connections and radically reform the bus network will cause a cost explosion and inability to add new BUZ routes. And so it is.

In our opinion, BCC's current bus operations are financially and operationally unsustainable.  Further changes as outlined in today's BCC Budget confirm this.

ZERO new BUZ routes will be added to the network, driver positions are frozen, rates have gone up and bus fares will likely rise by 7.5% in 2014 further worsening affordability. Service cuts and now even more bus reviews seem likely.

BCC should have just co-operated with TransLink in the first place.  This would have been the correct thing do?

Instead of new reviews, BCC should follow the lead established by New Zealanders and Auckland City Council's radical bus review and accept most of TransLink's bus review with minor adjustments.

We also note Legacy Way's lack of '2000 daily express buses' promised by BCC and the missing bus interconnection to the busway. The traffic forecast for Legacy Way is ~ 24 000 trips per day which is just 16% of what the South East Busway carries on a weekday (150 000 trips/ day). Without the bus connection, Legacy Way sounds more like budget busting project than a congestion busting one to us.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[somebody]

Will closures of Richlands and Bowen Hills bus depots increase non revenue running?

I see a lot of not in service buses along Sherwood Road / Rocklea / Fairfield Road these days  ...

I think so.  Richlands will affect it a little, Bowen Hills a lot.

[Mr X]

The $25 to park on our street is plain silly, our street was placed under a parking control zone when the Green Bridge opened yet we're not near any major landmarks. If he wants extra cash he should just charge everyone a yearly fee to park on every street.

Otherwise, if it costs $500K to run the parking control area then the non-CBD ones should just be scrapped.

Oh I forgot, we're in a Labor ward so I guess we don't count.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Yes, already a number of citizens are suggesting just that ...

eg.

Twitter

Pete ‏@PeteFTD 1h

Hey @team_quirk, if you want to find efficiencies in the bus network, have a look at the @TransLinkSEQ bis review. #bnebudget #qldpol

Bahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!

Will closures of Richlands and Bowen Hills bus depots increase non revenue running?

I see a lot of not in service buses along Sherwood Road / Rocklea / Fairfield Road these days  ...

Plenty of empty movements with buses coming off Albion road heading northbound along Gympie Road. Not to mention the Sandgate road corridor just has a buttload off buses traveling empty inbound in gangs. One has to wonder if the drivers race each other to see who can get to the city the fastest 

[BrizCommuter]

Looks like the CityCats will get a worse timetable due to bus inefficiencies.

[#Metro]

Looks like the CityCats will get a worse timetable due to bus inefficiencies.

That's going to be a bit of a bombshell. CityCat cuts. It's a Brisbane icon.

[ozbob]

How much longer can this go on ..

Plenty  of air can be cut on saturated bus routes to fund  ...  oh wait ....

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[SurfRail]

Not for the first time, I'm glad I don't pay rates in Brisbane.

[BrizCommuter]

The BrizCommuter word on BCC's 2013 budget
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/2013-brisbane-city-council-budget-also.html

[#Metro]

I think Brisbane Transport is starting to cannibalise the core functions of BCC, as predicted:

I suspect that it is literally eating the organisation inside out:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/jobs-to-go-under-brisbane-city-council-budget-20130612-2o4ad.html

Brisbane City Council's budget documents show employee costs will drop from $683.14 million in 2012-13 to $664.38 million in 2013-14, an $18.76 million drop.

Is it any wonder that this figure is almost the same as the shortfall generated by Brisbane Transport of $16 million due to the refusal of Scott Emerson to be used as an ATM to rip ever increasing quantities of cash from?

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/public-transport-changes-rates-rises-and-25-for-parking-permits-in-nothing-sexy-budget-20130612-2o37p.html

Not the first time either

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bus-boom-causes-council-staff-crunch-20100914-15atl.html

[Set in train]

Lance the BT boil from BCC, time to sell. Kenny Rogers would've known when to fold long ago.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Jobs to go under Brisbane City Council budget

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th June 2013

Re: BCC Budget - bus changes to continue

Greetings,

Not too late is it to reassess the bus reviews?   BCC is starting to cut jobs and services as a result of its bus intransigence.

2013 Brisbane City Council Budget also fails public transport users
--> http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/2013-brisbane-city-council-budget-also.html

High farce the bus review failure.

But that is what happens when petty politics trumps sound policy.

More to come no doubt.

Best wishes

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

12th June 2013

BCC Budget - bus changes to continue

Greetings,

We have always maintained that the TransLink bus review was the right thing to do. Failure to introduce connections and radically reform the bus network will cause a cost explosion and inability to add new BUZ routes. And so it is.

In our opinion, BCC's current bus operations are financially and operationally unsustainable.  Further changes as outlined in today's BCC Budget confirm this.

ZERO new BUZ routes will be added to the network, driver positions are frozen, rates have gone up and bus fares will likely rise by 7.5% in 2014 further worsening affordability. Service cuts and now even more bus reviews seem likely.

BCC should have just co-operated with TransLink in the first place.  This would have been the correct thing do?

Instead of new reviews, BCC should follow the lead established by New Zealanders and Auckland City Council's radical bus review and accept most of TransLink's bus review with minor adjustments.

We also note Legacy Way's lack of '2000 daily express buses' promised by BCC and the missing bus interconnection to the busway. The traffic forecast for Legacy Way is ~ 24 000 trips per day which is just 16% of what the South East Busway carries on a weekday (150 000 trips/ day). Without the bus connection, Legacy Way sounds more like budget busting project than a congestion busting one to us.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Set in train]

I notice that this year's cost of the City Hopper has been hidden. Last budget, it was clear to see, about $6M.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Opposition Leader Milton Dick takes aim at Brisbane City Council execs' bonuses in Budget reply