'Budget of half-measures' not enough for coronavirus response: Labor
The Labor opposition has labeled Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner's second budget as one "of half-measures", saying it offers little COVID-19 economic relief and slashes funding to community groups.
"We've got half a rates freeze, we've got half a rates rebate, and he's slashing support for community groups by more than half," Labor opposition leader Jared Cassidy said.
Opposition leader Jared Cassidy says the 2020-2021 council budget is one of "half-measures".Credit:Tammy Law
Cr Schrinner handed down the $3.1 billion 2020-2021 budget on Wednesday morning, saying it was the most challenging budget in the city's history but still delivered a slim surplus.
The lord mayor said the council knew people were "doing it tough" and community groups and sporting clubs were also suffering.
"The best thing we can do right now as a council is to support the community by keeping rates low, keeping the budget strong, and most importantly by investing in infrastructure that creates jobs," Cr Schrinner said.
The lord mayor announced a six-month rate freeze until January 1, increasing rates by 2.5 per cent after that date, averaged to 1.25 per cent across the 12 months.
Cr Cassidy said the rates freeze, along with a rates rebate of $250 for owner-occupiers on JobSeeker, were "half measures".
"We see that he is cutting and slashing programs right throughout this budget," Cr Cassidy said.
"When Brisbane is emerging from the greatest economic uncertainty we've seen since the Great Depression, what we needed was a budget that was a COVID response, but what we've got is a budget that is business as usual."
Deputy Labor leader Kara Cook said more than 1200 community groups across Brisbane had been supported through the lord mayor's community funds last financial year.
Cr Cook said the community fund cuts amounted to more than half the previous years' funding.
Labor has launched a petition to immediately reinstate kerbside collection, cut for the next two years to save $13 million.
Cr Cassidy said the $300 million cost blowout on Brisbane Metro was further evidence of the project's poor management.
Independent Tennyson ward councillor Nicole Johnston welcomed a nearly $1 million allocation to the Sherwood Arboretum over four years toward its 100-year anniversary in 2025.
However she said the cuts to the Lord Mayor's Community Fund would "cut to the heart" of community groups and events such as movies in the park.
Funding for individual wards through the fund last year was at $75,000 per ward and this year is at $34,000 per ward, at a total of $918,000.
The cut was attributed in the council documents to state legislative requirements now limiting councillor discretionary funds to 0.1 per cent of general rates revenue the previous year.
The state government introduced the change as part of an overall regulation reform package clarifying how councils could manage community grants.
Greens councillor Jonathan Sri noted the budget had "no new funding for homelessness support or public houses" but fee reductions for developers and cuts to festival funding and arts.
Kirsty Chessher-Brown from the Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland welcomed the lord mayor's budget support for the development sector.
"We're particularly pleased to see the waiving of rates for those new home purchases of new property, it's a wonderful result," she said.
"Coupled with the economic stimulus that we've seen from the state government and also the federal government in recent weeks, we really think this is the right step."
The most important news, in your inbox, at the start and end of each day. Sign up for the Brisbane Times' newsletter here.