Budget for Mareeba hits $64m

MAREEBA Shire Council has delivered a conservative $64 million budget.

The budget contains more than $44 million to cover operations and a capital expenditure of almost $20 million.

Over the next 12 months, Mareeba council will spend $12.9 million to improve and maintain roads and bridges across the shire.

Mayor Tom Gilmore said close to $18 million would be spent on water, waste and sewerage, while community facilities, libraries and cultural centres would receive a $4 million boost.

“In this coming year $1.9 million will be expended in Kuranda, sourced from the Kuranda Infrastructure Fund. This is part of a push to improve and to maintain Kuranda as a premier tourism destination,” he said. “Council is also supporting economic growth through a commitment to further improve Ootann Rd, expand the Mareeba Industrial Park Precinct and deliver stage one of the Mareeba Airport Upgrade.”

Cr Gilmore said that the rate rise was minimal.

“Council has chosen to increase rates in this coming financial year by 2.5 per cent to ensure that services provided to our community are equal to or better than those provided in the past,” he said.

“(The rise) is only marginally above the Consumer Price Index … If you don’t stay with the CPI then you are going backwards. We won’t do that.”