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2022-05-20 Special Meeting Agenda
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AGENDA
Special Meeting
Friday 20 May 2022
commencing at 10.30am
Council Chambers, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin
Crs Clare Stewart (Chair), Karen Finzel, Joe Jurisevic, Amelia Lorentson,
Brian Stockwell, Tom Wegener, Frank Wilkie
“Noosa Shire – different by nature”
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Section 2
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM PAGE
ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES 2
REPORTS
1 NOOSA COUNCIL DRAFT 2022/23 BUDGET FOR CONSULTATION 3
MEETING CLOSURE 9
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Section 3
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
REPORTS
1 NOOSA COUNCIL DRAFT 2022/23 BUDGET FOR CONSULTATION
Author Director Corporate Services (Acting), Trent Grauf
Corporate Services Department
Index ECM/ 7.33 – Budget 2022/2023
Attachments Nil
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The draft 2022/23 budget has been prepared for Noosa Council, and Council proposes to continue
delivering another financially sustainable budget that facilitates the delivery of valuable services and
critical infrastructure to meet the needs of the community.
To inform early engagement on community priorities through the start of budget development
process, Council has relied on both the recent liveability survey, bi-annual community satisfaction
survey and last year’s 2021/22 budget consultation responses. In particular, the highly successful
liveability survey has been recognised as a critical feedback tool in the budget process as it was
completed by over 1,600 people (10 times the response of last year’s budget consultation).
Council subsequently seeks further community feedback on the proposed draft budget now that its
proposed outcomes are available for the community to disseminate and review. Responses will
inform and shape the final decisions for the adoption of the 2022/23 budget on 28 June 2022.
The consultation processes will be open for feedback for two weeks from Monday 20th May 2022
through to Sunday 5th June 2022 for residents, business, community groups and business
associations to outline their priorities, ideas, suggestions or areas of concern; and to ensure that
proposed projects and services align to the priorities fed back to Council through earlier surveys.
RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Director Corporate Services (Acting) to the Special Meeting dated
20 May 2022; and:
A. Approve the proposed draft 2022/23 Budget and supporting documentation be made available
to the public for community consultation;
B. Council officers commence a two-week consultation process to seek feedback from the
community on the draft budget 2022/23.
C. The outcomes from the consultation to be considered in the development of the final budget
to be adopted at Special Meeting on 28 June 2022.
REPORT
Draft Budget Highlights
Under sections 104 and 107A of the Local Government Act 2009 and section 170 of the Local
Government Regulation 2012, Council is required to adopt, for each financial year, after 31 May
before the financial year and before 1 August in the financial year, a budget and revenue statement.
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Section 4
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
Council’s budget process runs from December through to June each year and is a significant annual
project for Council, requiring considerable organisational and Councillor input to ensure that budget
decisions align with Corporate Plan objectives, Operational Plan targets and Financial Sustainability
Policy requirements.
Council officers have finishing compiling the Council’s draft budget, and now seek approval for the
release of the budget for public distribution and comment before adoption of the final budget at
Special Meeting on 28 June 2022.
A number of challenges have presented in preparing this year’s budget. Similarly to all households
and businesses across not only the region but nationally, Council is currently facing unprecedented
economic conditions with inflationary pricing pressure on fuel and logistics, construction materials,
contracted services, the cost of wages as well as loan interest rate rises. In particular, CPI at 6.0%
for south-east Queensland is currently at the highest level since 2001. For Council, even just a 1%
increase in inflation equates to $1.5 million in additional Council costs across Council’s combined
operating and capital budget.
Recent flood events are also anticipated to have continued impacts through to the 2022/23 financial
year in terms of asset repairs as well as to provide ongoing support and recovery to community and
businesses.
The ‘build from base’ approach used by Council in developing its budget has enabled detailed review
of efficient inputs to its services to accommodate price increases where possible and to ensure there
is no negative impact on the standard of service delivery provided to the community.
The key financial highlights of the draft budget are:
• A continued approach of adopting a modest operating surplus ($240k proposed)
• All key statutory financial sustainability targets being met demonstrates Council remains financially
sustainable in the long term
• An operating budget of $118 million to deliver core Council services with a focus in 2022/23 on disaster
recovery and maintaining service levels to accommodate growth
• Key operating projects to be delivered in 2022/23 include the development of a new Corporate Plan to
guide Council future priorities, development of a Destination Management Plan, continued affordable
housing advocacy and investigations as well as key sustainable transport, environment and waste
recovery initiatives
• A capital program of $42 million invested in infrastructure to maintain and improve the condition of existing
infrastructure as well as provide for future growth.
• Continued significant external grants for funding capital works of $13 million
• Key capital works projects include the completion of Noosa Parade upgrade, new landfill cell on
Noosaville-Eumundi Road Resource Recovery Centre, Beckman’s Road upgrade as well as new works
for Federal Middle Creek Road upgrade and Noosa District Sports Complex internal roads and facility
stage 1.
• Rate rises proposed to be kept in line with CPI of 5.1% for the majority of ratepayers who continue to
remain on the minimum rate. This equates to $80 per annum or $1.53 per week.
• An increase to environment and heritage levies to return the pricing, programs and investment in
environment and heritage back to pre-covid levels
In setting rates and charges, the unprecedented increase in land valuation (UCV) applied by State
Government to properties in the shire will also have significant implications for some property owners
in the shire. Whilst the average land valuation increase was just under 36.5%, the distribution
between localities and property types in the shire has been very diverse. Not only has the increase
been very different between suburbs (and streets within those suburbs) as some properties
experience much higher valuation increases than others, but there is also significant difference
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Section 5
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
between land uses. Broadly valuation increases are ranging from no increase for some properties
all the way up to some over 100% increase in land value.
The challenge for Council is for then setting the general rate, which is calculated by multiplying the
unimproved land valuation by a rate in the dollar for each different category of land. Whilst every
effort has been made to moderate the impact of the valuation increases, it is not possible for Council
to mitigate the full impact of the State Government imposed valuation increases without creating
significant adverse impacts to the majority of ratepayers in the shire who are on the minimum rate.
A full suite of budget documents will be made available on Council’s Have Your Say Noosa website
(https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/about-council/councillors-meetings/council-budgets
Consultation Approach
The 2022/23 budget is the second year that Council has engaged in public consultation for its budget
and is currently only one of a small number of local government authorities in Queensland taking
proactive steps to increase the level of community engagement through its budget process.
The decision to commence public budget consultation process also followed a Queensland Audit
Office (QAO) report to Parliament in 2018 on Managing Local Government Rates and Charges,
which found that none of the local governments it had audited consulted with the public on their
budgets, the level and quality of services provided to the public, or the rates and charges levied.
Council’s decision to undertake public consultation also pre-empted anticipated future legislative
changes to mandate public consultation on budgets.
A staged approach to the development and consultation of the 2022/23 budget was adopted at
Council Special Meeting on 30 March 2022 to ensure community feedback was appropriately
incorporated into both the start of the budget (to set priorities) and at the completion of the draft
budget (to enable feedback on the proposed decisions):
Community Budget Community
Priorities Development Consultation
•Liveability Survey •Corporate Plan •Feedback on
•Community and Strategies draft budget
Satisfaction Actions including projects
Survey •Councillor and intiatives,
•2021/22 Budget Priorities service levels,
Consultation •Business Area capital works and
Submissions proposed rates
Liveability Survey
Council has relied in particular on the liveability survey given both the successful reach of responses,
with feedback being received from over 1,600 residents, through to its alignment to shaping
strategies and priorities for the shire.
The draft budget document has identified alignment to the key projects, initiatives and capital works
proposed in the draft budget.
The liveability survey is located on Council’s website: https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/liveability-noosa
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SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
Community Satisfaction Survey
The community satisfaction survey is independently undertaken on a bi-annual basis, with feedback
being received from over 400 residents. To inform the budget, it provides guidance to Council on
where the community believes quality of services have declined and where additional investment
may be needed.
The community satisfaction survey is located on Council’s website:
https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-publications/residents-survey
Where to Provide Feedback to Council on the Draft Budget
Feedback can be provided on the draft budget via the following:
Method Option Detail
Online Your Say Noosa The Your Say Noosa website will provide for feedback through:
Website a) the Balance Act budget prioritisation simulation tool
b) Key survey questions on budget priorities/ concerns
Site: https://yoursay.noosa.qld.gov.au/
Email Council Feedback can be provided on specific ideas or concerns via email at
direct [email protected]
In Person Facilitated Two facilitated information sessions will be held with Councillors:
Information a) Cooroy Library: 1st June @ 11am
Sessions b) Noosaville Library: 2nd June @ 10am
Attendance registered via email [email protected]
Individual Should any community, resident or business association representatives
Meetings wish to present their feedback individually to Councillors and key staff, this
will available by appointment through contacting email
[email protected]
Previous Council Consideration
The 2021/22 Noosa Council Draft budget feedback was adopted by Council resolution on 16 June
2021 (Ref. Special Meeting Minutes, 16 June 2021, Item 1, Page 5)
The 2021/22 original budget was adopted by Council resolution on 30 June 2021 (Ref. Special
Meeting Minutes, 30 June 2021, Item 3, Page 3.
The 2021/22 budget review 2 (BR2) was adopted by Council resolution on 21 January 2022 (Ref.
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 22 January 2022, Item 5, Page 5).
The 2022/23 Noosa Council Budget Commencement Scene Setting Report was adopted by Council
resolution on 30 March 2022 (Ref. Special Meeting Minutes, 30 March 2022, Item 1, Page 2)
Finance
Nil.
Risks & Opportunities
Risks
Financial – A budget that is not both sustainable, affordable, achievable and effective will erode the
value and level of service of Council, and its activities, to current and future generations of residents
and ratepayers.
Reputational – Council has progressed down the path of consultation on future Council budgets.
Community trust could be eroded should Council decide to cease or reduce budget consultation at
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Section 7
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA 20 MAY 2022
any point in the future.
Priorities – Engagement processes with the community may risk sub optimal outcomes and priority
misalignment if consultation does not achieve a sufficient level of engagement to understand the
broad cross-section of community needs.
Opportunities
A budget consultation process is an opportunity to understand the spending priorities of our
community and ensures that effective engagement continues to retain community confidence in
Council processes and transparent decision-making.
Consultation
External Consultation - Community & Stakeholder
Nil.
Internal Consultation
Chief Executive Officer.
Departments/Sections Consulted:
X Chief Executive Officer Community Services X Corporate Services
Executive Officer Director X Director
Executive Support Community Development Financial Services
Community Facilities ICT
Libraries & Galleries Procurement & Fleet
Local Laws Property
Waste & Environmental Health Revenue Services
Executive Services Environment & Sustainable Development Infrastructure Services
Director Director Director
Community Engagement Building & Plumbing Services Asset Management
Customer Service Development Assessment Buildings and Facilities
Governance Economic Development Civil Operations
People and Culture Environmental Services Disaster Management
Strategic Land Use Planning Infrastructure Planning,
Design and Delivery
MEETING CLOSURE
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