Gabba Ward Residents short changed by 2010-11 Budget
10 June, 2010
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The Lord Mayor’s annual 2010-11 budget fails to deliver for the current and future residents of The Gabba Ward.
Only one of the top ten projects identified by local residents and Councillor Helen Abrahams has been funded in this budget, being $500 00 for traffic lights at the Jane Street and Montague Road intersection, West End.
There are no bike way projects, no new public transport projects in The Gabba Ward in spite of Council acquiring $1.381 million from infrastructure contributions in the last three years since 2007/08.
“Clearly not all the funds collected by Council for transport projects are being spent in this budget” said Cr Abrahams.
“Delays in spending the funds simply means loss of value of the contributions due to rising construction costs” said Helen Abrahams.
“Residents and developers are not getting value for their money.”
Similarly Council has acquired $1.5 Million over the last three years for parkland and community infrastructure in West End, South Brisbane and Woolloongabba.
“While I welcome the $255 000 that is being spent on play equipment; an upgrade of the car park in Musgrave Park, and the $500 000 for an upgrade to Davies Park, the remaining $700 000 should have been allocated this year for the West End Riverside Parklands” said Cr Abrahams.
“The community has been waiting for two years to have Riverside Drive closed to traffic. Now they have to wait another 12 months” said Helen Abrahams.
“Since he was re-elected with his LNP majority just two years ago, Campbell Newman has increased rates by 20.27 per cent – more than twice the rate of inflation,” Councillor Abrahams said.
The average general rate increases for suburbs in The Gabba Ward are:
Woollloongabba 6.86%
Kangaroo Point 6.65%
South Brisbane 6.36%
Dutton Park 6.10%
East Brisbane 6.07%
West End 5.59%
Highgate Hill 4.56%
Coorparoo 3.55%
These are twice to three times the CPI increase promised by the Lord Mayor.
“This budget does not deliver the future projects needed for the Lord Mayor’s proposed population growth for West End, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane and Kangaroo Point yet the residents of these suburbs are paying more rates than ever before and receiving less in return.”