After two months of meetings and deliberations McKinlay Shire Council formally adopted the 2016/17 Budget on Friday the 22nd of July. The operational budget of $33,704,236 million continues to maintai
After two months of meetings and deliberations McKinlay Shire Council formally adopted the 2016/17 Budget on Friday the 22nd of July.
The operational budget of $33,704,236 million continues to maintain services for residents from roads to childcare, health to tourism. Mayor Belinda Murphy stated “ We are continuing to deliver our many and varied services in this budget”.
The capital works program totalling $14,068,740 will see dollars spent on road upgrades, finalisation of carry over projects such as the Julia Creek Community Precinct and Punchbowl Bridge. Additional projects will include essential works to upgrade the Julia Creek Sewage treatment plant and works to McKinlay and Kynuna water. New projects will include a new amenities block for Kev Bannah Oval and additional amenities block, drive through sites and artesian spa at the Julia Creek Caravan Park.
Mayor Murphy said “ The capital works spend is across essential infrastructure and asset renewals as well as new projects such at Upgrading Peter Dawes Park and finishing off the car park shades in Burke street. Significant external funding has made many of these projects achievable in the coming years”.
Council has adopted a measured rates rise of 1.9% in line with the Local Government index. “Council was conscious of the difficult economic times over the past few years and felt that we could manage another measured rates rise however moving forward we need to look at above CPI rises. We need to keep pace with rising costs and certainly impacts from frozen indexation from FAGS has meant that we risk falling behind if we stay at only CPI rate rises in the future. Our limited rates revenue is always an issue but we need to financially be responsible for the future.”