Budget 2023-24: Putting residents first in “back to basics” budget

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart says the 23-24 budget gets the balance right by putting residents first while maintaining fundamental services to the community. 

Council has adopted the 2023-24 Budget.

The ‘back to basics’ budget has a focus on building infrastructure, helping pensioners and maintaining our liveability to ensure a bright future for the shire.

“It’s been the toughest budget faced by this council as we continue to deliver an $80 million flood recovery program, deal with inflationary pressures and massive land valuation increases for the second successive year,” she said.

But Cr Stewart said councillors should be commended for delivering a budget that is financially responsible in the current economic climate.

“We have taken a sensible approach to our spending, for most property owners rates increases are below CPI while dealing with the increasing costs of building new infrastructure and maintaining services,” Cr Stewart said.

The average residential ratepayer faces a 5.5 per cent increase on their total rates notice – equivalent to an extra $1.72 per week.

In fact, 4,000 property owners will have a drop in their total rates bill, equivalent to a cup of coffee every week, because of the mechanisms implemented to combat the unprecedented land valuations.

“We have worked extremely hard to mitigate the extraordinary land valuation increases - which averaged a 62.5 per cent increase across the shire – as well as ease the burden on ratepayers as much as possible,” she said.

Cr Stewart said Council wasn’t immune to the current inflationary conditions, construction costs, which had risen by as much as 30 per cent, and rising utility charges.

“Like all households and businesses, we also deal with these rising costs and this budget represents responsible decision making in extremely challenging economic times."

Nearly 5000 pensioners have been given a helping hand by consolidating the pensioner rebates, with all eligible pensioners to now receive the full rebate of $230 per year, whether they are single or a couple.

“We know pensioners have been hit hard by the cost-of-living pressures so all councillors were unanimous about making the rebate more equitable for all eligible pensioners,” Cr Stewart said.

There’s been a freeze on levies – the Environment, Sustainable Transport, Heritage and Bushfire Resilience and Recovery levies remain at last year’s amounts.

The budget also responds to the newly adopted Corporate Plan, delivering a number of key initiatives in year one such as progressing the Destination Management Plan, starting the Reconciliation Action Plan and continuing to advocate and secure funding partnerships to implement the Housing Action Plan.

An investment of $39.4 million is for capital works.

Almost a third of the funds will be spent on the road and transport network and a further $6 million to replace or upgrade bridges.

“This budget has a focus of improving our liveability, prosperity and continuing to support the preservation of our natural environment,” Cr Stewart said.

“We have put our residents first and this budget strikes a balance between investing in our future and living within our means.”

Comparison of the rates notice for average residential ratepayer.