#50Days50Ways - #33 - Delivering transparency about the budget and our local priorities, informed by resident surveys.
Recently, a few questions have been asked about how we allocate budget in Division 9 and the city. We’ve always been pretty open about budgets and are happy to answer any questions when they arise. People write to us most days asking for something to build or fix or introduce and while we can’t do everything immediately we try to get through whatever we can, or write clearly saying something can’t be delivered.
For the last 4 years, Budget Adoption meetings, or Special Budget Committee meetings addressing and resolving divisional allocations, were held on;
24 May 2023
23 May 2022
16 June 2021
8 June 2020
You can check the agendas and minutes here;
https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/.../Coun.../Minutes-agendas
At each of these meetings, or the related committees around them, the draft allocation of Local Area Works budgets were resolved.
I generally also report on the budget after it is adopted and did so as follows;
2023 – we produced a document that was forwarded to anyone who asked addressing the council budget and state government budget, with regard to Division 9 (let me know if you want a copy)
To consult residents we collate information from the https://gchaveyoursay.com.au/ survey segmented by suburb so we focus on the priorities of Division 9 residents. The graph pictured shows the focus of those responses. We combine that data with the information we receive in correspondence to inform the projects we fund each year. It’s a big body of work and we’re always happy to talk about it.
In 2023/24 we allocated our Local Area Works funds in draft fashion as follows;
$390,000 - Parks and Open Spaces (including landcare, playgrounds, design work)
$313,693 – Road Reserve projects (paths and traffic calming)
$60,000 - Community Facilities
$37,307 – Discretionary Grant program
$174,000 – Community Events and promotions (incl grants, Christmas, DV program)
Every year, a project might not go ahead as planned, or might end up costing less than we thought, or sometimes cost more than was allocated, so gets re-prioritised.
About 25% of the above ($975,000) is captured in a fund for after the election is resolved, at which time it can be accessed to deliver local projects. Some of the projects have carried over from previous years, or are funding multi-year projects that are in final design phase (like the Glenmore Drive and Bonogin Rd East pathways) and not commencing construction yet (Like Hinterland Regional Park playground upgrade).
If you have any questions, or would like me drill down on any of the above, please let me know. Happy to help anyone interested in finding out more.