The Schrinner Council is on track to deliver another balanced budget in 2024-25 thanks to responsible financial management.
The latest quarterly financial report has confirmed the Schrinner Council has successfully kept spending under control despite rising costs.
Keeping costs down to ease pressure on household rates and rents was a key priority for Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner during last year’s Council election.
In stark contrast, the Green/Labor Coalition of Chaos made $3.5 billion in big spending promises that would have delivered one of the largest rate rises in Brisbane’s history.
During the 2024 Brisbane City Council election Labor couldn’t provide proper costings and the Greens didn’t even bother.
They couldn’t explain how they would pay for their plan to radically shake up Brisbane’s bin services.
They couldn’t explain how they would pay for their multi-billion-dollar tram plan.
They couldn’t explain how they would pay for their inner-city King George Square development.
And they couldn’t detail what projects they would cut to fund their big-spending promises.
Brisbane Labor’s so-called leader was also recently exposed for not knowing the difference between net debt and liabilities, demonstrating Labor’s inability to manage a $4 billion budget.
Key economic and financial figures in the Schrinner Council’s quarterly budget update:
- Council is on track to deliver a 7 per cent operating surplus as a buffer against unexpected cost increases
- Spending has been kept under control with a $320.9 million per cent decrease in expenditure
- More than $1.3 billion in revenue has been received, to help fund frontline services
- Net debt remains less than the $4 billion annual budget at $3.638 billion
This has been achieved while the Schrinner Council delivered massive improvements to keep Brisbane moving, including:
- Introducing turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro services
- Commissioning Australia’s largest bus depot at Rochedale
- Progressing the Adelaide Street Tunnel to break the CBD’s bus bottleneck
- Opening the Kangaroo Point Bridge, which has already had more than half a million trips since 15 December 2024
- Removing the notorious Moggill Road roundabout at Indooroopilly
- Completing a major upgrade of Beams Road in one of the city’s fastest-growing areas
- Launching industry engagement to keep Brisbane moving with smarter suburban corridors
- Diverting 37,548 tonnes of garden waste from landfill; a 36 per cent increase on the previous year
- Servicing Brisbane parks 42,500 times, up from 38,582 services the previous year
- Approving more than 8,300 new homes to increase supply and drive housing costs
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner:
“We promised to balance the budget and ease pressure on rates and rents at last year’s election, and that’s precisely what we’re on track to deliver.
“Brisbane residents overwhelmingly backed our plan to spend within our means while also investing in the projects necessary to keep Brisbane moving.
“The alternative was $3.5 billion in ill-conceived and unfunded promises that would have driven up the rates and rents for every Brisbane resident.
“The recent downgrade of the State’s credit rating outlook demonstrates Labor’s reckless management of public money, which will cost every Queenslander.
“We have a strong track record of responsible financial management and these figures demonstrate we are keeping the budget balanced and keeping costs down for Brisbane residents.”
