'Back-to-basics' budget to keep rate rise below CPI

Council’s draft 2023-24 budget is now open for feedback. 

More than 80 per cent of Noosa Shire ratepayers will have an average rates bill increase below CPI.

Mayor Clare Stewart said residents’ input as part of the liveability survey and corporate plan consultation had heavily influenced this year’s budget.

“We know our residents are struggling with cost-of-living pressures and we’ve worked very hard in developing this draft budget to ensure that for 63% of ratepayers on the minimum general rate, the rise in their annual rates bill will come in at 5.5%, which is well below CPI.

“We have also applied a freeze on levies to help minimise the financial impact on ratepayers,” she said.

Cr Stewart said over 80 per cent of ratepayers will have an average increase below CPI.

“It’s been a significant challenge to put together this budget in the face of a 7.4% CPI increase, significant land valuation increases and the rising cost of doing business,” Cr Stewart said.

“This is very much a back-to-basics, no-frills budget aimed at maintaining the high level of service our community expects, with improvements and new initiatives where we are able to.

“We’ve worked really hard to mitigate the flow-through of land valuations, resulting in about 4000 property owners seeing a reduction in their rates compared to the previous year. This is due to the mechanisms we’ve used to manage the volatile land valuations, which rose by an average of 62 per cent across the shire,” the Mayor said.

Every eligible pensioner is now set to receive the full pensioner rebate of $115, where previously it was a sliding scale depending on eligibility. 

“This is a cost of $80,000 to the budget, but it’s Council’s commitment to helping out those more vulnerable in our shire,” the Mayor said.

Key initiatives of the $132 million budget include:

• Increased investment in shire-wide parks, trails and roads maintenance.
• Ongoing affordable housing advocacy and policy implementation.
• Continuation of the Go Noosa free weekend bus initiative.
• Continuation of the Living Well Noosa program.
• Progression of the Destination Management Plan.
• Support for small businesses with the implementation of the Small Business Friendly Council program.
• Ongoing science-based water quality monitoring program.
• Ongoing vegetation mapping review to identify critical bushfire hazards and inform conservation.
• New waste recovery initiatives to reduce recoverable materials going into landfill and eliminate illegal dumping.

“These are the areas our residents told us to prioritise in the feedback we received as part of the recent corporate plan community consultation process plus the responses to the liveability survey.”

Mayor Stewart said the budget includes an ambitious $39 million capital works program that will deliver a number of big-ticket items. These include replacement of the Lawnville Road bridge in the hinterland, the Garth Prowd bridge renewal, Eumundi Noosa Road Resource Recovery Centre expansion and Ross Crescent stabilisation works.

“Running in tandem with the capital program is our $80-million-plus  QRA funded disaster recovery infrastructure program following last year’s floods so it’s a big year for construction.”

Community and environment groups are also in for a boost with an increase to Council’s grants programs.

Residents can review and have a say on the draft budget at Council's Your Say Noosa webpage until June 4, 2023. 

Residents can discuss the draft budget face to face with their local Councillors at a budget feedback session to be held next Monday, May 29, 10am to 12noon at Noosa Council, 9 Pelican Steet, Tewantin. To reserve a place, please send an email