Council properties on block

A NUMBER of ratepayerowned residential properties are to be auctioned off as a Far Northern council looks to reduce its depreciation costs.

The asset rationalisation initiative adopted by the Cassowary Coast Regional Council has led to negotiations with community groups over underused public assets and their maintenance, with some cuts copping a heavy backlash.

Now, the CCRC has set an auction for the relocation and sale of the former caretaker residences at Warrina Lakes, Tully Showgrounds and Pease Park as well as one demountable building from Warrina Lakes.

The auction will take place on November 25 at Pease Park in the Russ Hinze Building at Innisfail.

CCRC Mayor Mark Nolan said the council was aiming to reduce depreciation, insurance premiums and other operational costs of under-used and obsolete assets, and so far, it had achieved a 17 per cent reduction of insurance costs.

“The first stage of the rationalisation process has been to reassess all of council’s tenure arrangements in accordance with the community use of asset principles, as well as identifying properties, such as old caretaker homes, which have no operational benefit to council,” Cr Nolan said.

“It is critical that this process is undertaken correctly, with due diligence, and it is equally important for council to have a thorough stakeholder engagement with user groups before any decisions are implemented, which means the process to date has taken longer than expected.

“Already council has achieved tangible results with a number of agreements executed and negotiations over tenure arrangements will continue.

“Importantly savings realised are not one-off savings, but are savings which will be recurring in future budgets.

“These agreements ensure costs to utilise these facilities become the responsibility of the property users, which has previously not been consistently managed.”