Mayor Budget Speech 2021

Last year, I used the mantra “Save where we can to spend where we must”. It’s an ideal I still espouse.

More transparency surrounding the budget was initiated by the former Mayor and Councillors and they
should be acknowledged for that. So with this as a foundation, for the first time we engaged our
community in budget talks and sought feedback. We gave people an opportunity to voice their thoughts,
and opinions, and, through our online Budget Tool we gave them the ability to understand and balance
the budget and so highlight priorities as to where they think their money should be spent.

It was clear from all feedback, through all channels, face to face, online and through our budgeting tool,
that residents wanted more funds directed to infrastructure, community initiatives and protection of our
bushland reserves- our environment.

So, we listened, and now implement.

Part of our capital infrastructure record budget will include:

     Stage 1 of Tewantin Bypass- $8.8m
     $7.5m to replace 7 bridges across the Shire
      o     $1m replacement of Garth Prowd Bridget
      o     $1.47m for the Lawnville Road Bridget at Black Mountain
      o     $1.35m for Kin Kin’s Wahpunga Lane Bridge renewal
     $4.6m to finish the Hinterland Playground
     $1.4m to upgrade the Pomona Section of the Noosa Trail Network
     $2.1m to complete the new Peregian Beach Community House
     $5.7m Road Reseal programme- for road resurfacing and gravel road re-sheeting
      o     Pomona - School Street, Potter Street and Part of Pioneer Road all set for resurfacing
      o     500m of resurfacing for Pender Creek Road at Kin Kin and Camphor Road at Pinbarren
      o     Reseal the remainder of Gympie Terrace
      o     Renew the stormwater culverts within the road corridor
     $1m to fill the missing links in our footpath network across the Shire including Tewantin, Sunshine
      Beach, Castaways Beach, Noosaville, Pomona and Cooroy This is something I know all
      Councillors will be proud of as we look at the formal adoption of our Walking and Cycling Strategy
      in July 2021.
     Upgrading busy intersection of Doonella Street and Memorial Avenue at Tewantin to boost
      capacity for the future

Other ‘big-ticket’ items include: Commencement of the restoration of Noosa Spit Dog Beach at $1.09m
and $350k to replace the metal skate ramp at the Sunshine Beach skate park with a brand-new
competition- grade ramp.