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Brisbane City Council Budget 2017

  • June 21, 2017

Brisbane City Council Budget

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has brought down the Brisbane City Council Annual Plan and Budget 2017-18. While described by the Lord Mayor as a ‘modest budget’, the document appropriates over $1 billion towards congestion alleviating projects.

The Budget also contains a focus on improving the city’s leisure and tourism opportunities, particularly river-based activities.

Infrastructure investment

The 2017/18 Budget is dominated by significant investments in road projects, as well as initial funding for the Brisbane Metro. Major transport capital investment highlights include:

  • $223.2 million for the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade project, due for completion in 2019
  • $29.6 million for the first stages of the Wynnum Road upgrade, including widening Lytton Road to three lanes in each direction
  • $9.6 million for the widening of the Inner City Bypass between Legacy Way and the RNA tunnel
  • $81.1 million for the first stage of the Telegraph Road Corridor
  • $49.7 million next financial year, and a total of $430 million over the forward estimates for the Brisbane Metro project. A further $514 million will be required to complete the project, including new rolling stock.

Rates and fees & charges

The Budget reports that the average increase in rates for residential properties (owner-occupiers) will be 2.4%. Similarly, the average increase to Council fees and charges will also be 2.4%.

Differential rating categories for properties within the CBD have been modified, with some properties now within a new category. Whilst the ‘cents in the dollar’ figure for CBD rating categories have mostly been reduced, the minimum general rates have all been increased.

Asset owners are encouraged to review the Budget to see how individual properties are affected by these changes.

Council has introduced new categories and charges for the Pre-Application stage of development assessment, these include the:

  • DesignSMART Service, and
  • Requests for exemptions certificates under the new planning legislation

> Lord Mayor’s Budget Speech
> Annual Plan and Budget 2017-18
> Schedule of Fees and Charges 2017-18