Brisbane Budget to hit residents hard
Brisbane City Council has handed down a tough budget with rate rises, new charges and a rise in debt.
For the first time, thousands of residents will have to pay to park in front of their own home.
They'll now need to pay for residential parking permits, as part of tough new measures the Lord Mayor says are necessary to balance the books.
Graham Quirk calls it a bread and butter Budget, but admits ratepayers may not like the taste.
"These are measures that I have to take to balance the books," he said.
Rates are rising 3.8 per cent - above the 2.5 per cent rate of inflation.
The average home owner will pay $1245 dollars a year, which is a 46 dollar increase compared to last year.
Future bus orders have been slashed from 90 to 60 per year because more money will have to be saved on the network, while depots at Richlands and Bowen Hills will close.
"I don't know that there will be cuts, but we're going to see some variations to services," Cr Quirk said.
The installation of backflow valves to protect low lying suburbs from flooding will speed up, but the buyback of flood prone homes will be deferred for a year to pay for it.
The SES gets more money and new depots at Moggill, Richlands and on Moreton Island.
It’s around the city fringe that this budget will hit hardest, for both residents and businesses."
18,000 drivers living in restricted parking zones will have to pay $10 for a permit to leave their car outside their own home, and up to a maximum $25 per household.
A new commercial zone on the city fringe will see nearly 5000 businesses near the CBD cop several years of 5 per cent rate hikes.
To pay for Legacy Way, borrowings have increased, debt is $2084 for every man, woman and child.
The condemned Shorncliffe Pier will be replaced at a cost of $19 million.
