2020-07-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                      13 JULY 2020


Council has recently had an opportunity to apply for further funding from this program. Applications
have been submitted for the refurbishment of:
(i)   Garth Prowd Bridge, Noosa Heads - refurbishment and upgrade;
(ii) Doonella Bridge, Tewantin – replacement;
(iii) Lawnville Road Bridge, Black Mountain - replacing a timber bridge with a concrete bridge;
      and
(iv) Cooroy Belli Creek Road Bridge, Cooroy - replacing a timber bridge with a concrete bridge.

The total value of these projects is approximately $13 million. No announcement has yet been
made on these funding applications.

B.    COVID-19 Local Road and Community Infrastructure Grant Program

The Commonwealth has allocated direct funding to councils across Australia under this program.
Our Council’s allocation is $790,000. This has been allocated towards the cost of stabilisation of
part of Sobraon Street, Sunrise Beach. Work under this funding program must be completed by
30 June 2021 and this work is scheduled for that time period. This work has been identified as
being required as a result of investigations associated with the nearby landslip on Tingira Crescent.
We are still awaiting program confirmation from the Commonwealth.

2.    State funding

A.    COVID-19 Works for Queensland

The Works for Queensland funding program has been in operation for a number of years but in the
past South-East Queensland local governments have not been eligible. Our Council has been
lobbying for a number of years to be eligible for this funding program. One of the unique aspects
of this particular funding program is that it focuses on asset renewal, not just the creation of new
assets.

As a result of COVID-19, councils across Queensland were allocated a share of $200 million. Our
Council’s allocated share was $1.86 million. The intent of the program is to get shovel ready
projects delivered within the next 12 months that will create local jobs. All projects must be
complete by 30 June 2021 with no extensions of time possible.

From the time the project guidelines were published, councils had 8 working days to submit their
list of their shovel ready projects to the State government that met the particular criteria.

Attachment 1 to this report sets out a list of the projects that our Council has submitted under this
program. These are shovel ready projects that meet the specific criteria in the funding program
and can be delivered by 30 June 2021. Advice from the Department of Local Government is that
the submitted projects meet the criteria.

B.    Specific Unite and Recover funding for South East Queensland Councils

A further round of funding was announced by the State government specifically for South East
Queensland councils. Our Council’s allocation was $2 million (with each of the 12 South East
Queensland councils being allocated an equal amount). In addition, South East Queensland
councils can put in competitive bids for additional funding.

The guidelines are different for this program compared to the Works for Queensland criteria. There
is more emphasis on infrastructure but the guidelines also stipulate completion by 30 June 2021
with no time extensions permitted. Once again, timeframes were short with 10 days being available
from the release of the guidelines to the submission of proposed projects.


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