News
17 June, 2021
$41 million infrastructure spending in Somerset Council budget
This Somerset Regional Council budget includes $41 million in infrastructure spending, with many exciting projects to support our food and tourism industries and our rural lifestyle well into the future.
The budget also includes a 1.5% rate increase for owner occupiers on the minimum general rate with reductions in the rate as a percentage of land valuations across all but five rating categories.
Official State land valuation increases will affect ratepayers differently across the region in 2021/2022.
This budget includes $41 million in infrastructure spending, with many exciting projects to support our food and tourism industries and our rural lifestyle well into the future.
Somerset has been successful in winning infrastructure funding for our community under our Battleplan because of our strong financials and we are great at planning and building.
We are very grateful for funding support from the Australian and Queensland Governments to help develop our region and community, particularly under the current economic circumstances.
"Our budget is not just about hard infrastructure. We will be advancing Somerset’s economic development and tourism through new strategies with great new initiatives to assist local business and the community while protecting our rural heritage," said the Mayor, Cr Graeme Lehmann.
"Our budget continues Council’s successful fight against environmental and agricultural pest plants with an increase in the environmental levy to $41.50. We have made some major gains against lantana which has smothered our land for decades and we wish to advance and consolidate these gains.
"As well as weeds, we have also been cutting ongoing costs to bring our budget back closer to surplus than most councils at present.
"I thank Councillors Helen Brieschke, Sean Choat, Cheryl Gaedtke, Kylee Isidro, Jason Wendt and Bob Whalley and the entire Council team for their strong support and hard work with our 2021-22 budget."
