Cash splash for roads, light rail
Council commits $280m to infrastructure
NEARLY $100 million will be put towards the stalled light rail extension in today’s Gold Coast City Council Budget.
Just two days after the State Government failed to contribute a single cent to the 6.6km Broadbeach to Burleigh link, council will use its funding commitment as the headline act of a record $280 million transport infrastructure spend.
Mayor Tom Tate will this morning bring down his eighth Budget, the last before he faces voters again in March and will announce a series of electoral sweeteners, including funds for a dive site and two-year ferry service.
The average residential rates rise will be 1.68 per cent, meaning ratepayers will fork out an extra $49.70 a year.
Cr Tate told the Bulletin the rates rise meant it would cost residents an increase of less than an extra dollar a week.
“This is the secondlowest rates rise since 2012 and the lowest this council term,” he said.
“But this doesn’t mean we are not delivering capital expenditure – I am proposing a record spend of $540 million on capital projects.
“Our budget is now $1.7 billion which has grown because more people are living here and it is now bigger than the municipal budget of Tasmania.”
Transport infrastructure will make up the bulk of big-ticket items included in the Budget.
City chief executive Dale Dickson said council’s tram funding represents 13 per cent of the project’s total cost.
“We have an offer on the table to the State Government. The clock is now ticking,” he said.
The Morrison Government last year committed $112 million to the extension, about 16 per cent of the $709 million total cost.
The State Government and Gold Coast Council argue it is not enough.
The Mayor said the funding showed the council was serious about building infrastructure.
“It is my wish that both the federal and state governments start to get on board to keep funding this,” he said.”
Cr Tate yesterday announced $34 million would be spent adding an extra lane to Southport’s Sundale Bridge and upgrading the intersection with Waterways Ave.
Work will begin next month and will take two years to complete.
Once complete, it is expect to cut nearly 20 minutes from drivers’ journeys to Southport.
City Hall will also put $2 million towards the establishment of the Major Events Corporation which will be used to bring in new attractions for the city, such as next year’s Queen concert at Metricon Stadium.
A further $118 million will be spent on renewing the city’s infrastructure network.
OUR BUDGET IS NOW $1.7 BILLION WHICH HAS GROWN BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE ARE LIVING HERE AND IT IS NOW BIGGER THAN THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET OF TASMANIA MAYOR TOM TATE