The delivery of more than $39 million in capital works has been highlighted in Noosa Council’s annual report for 2023-24.
Mayor Frank Wilkie was proud to outline the council’s hard work prior to the adoption of the annual report at the last council meeting.
“Serving our community is at the heart of everything council does and we’re proud of what this small but hard-working council has delivered, despite challenges,” Cr Wilkie said.
“Our infrastructure services team delivered more than $39 million in capital works, including more than $6 million of bridge upgrades, $5.3 million of rehabilitation and reseal works to local roads and building the new $1.95 million Olive Donaldson Pavilion at Noosa District Sports Complex.
The significant projects included in the annual report included the renewal of the Lawnville Road and Garth Prowd bridges, the Noosaville-Eumundi Road Resource Recovery Centre expansion and the stabilisation of Ross Crescent.
Cr Wilkie also made a point of mentioning the Noosa Spit Dog Beach sand nourishment project, which finished in June, to protect the popular recreational area and Noosa Sound from storm swells.
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Noosa Council secured $14.7 million in grant funding and $127 million in Queensland Reconstruction Authority funding, which enabled repairs and reconstruction of 31 landslides and 15 stormwater culverts and drains damaged in the February 2022 flood event.
More than $1.5 million was distributed in community, environment and economic grants to support local organisations and activities.
The council also assessed 650 lodged development applications, approving 599 of them.
The report also detailed that the council received nearly 45,000 telephone calls in the 12 months, and that more than a million items were borrowed from the shire’s libraries, which have a membership equal to half the shire’s population.
According to the report, Noosa Council had a total income of $198,244, up from $151,193 the previous financial year, but that total expenses also rose from $134,430 to $151,422.
Factoring in some other expenses and an asset revaluation, the council’s total comprehensive income for 2023-24 was $28,313,000, down a little on $20,625,000 in 2022-23.
The council achieved an operating surplus of $7.4 million and had an operating surplus ration of 5.31 per cent, which Cr Wilkie said showed “we’re operating efficiently and generating small surpluses which are reserved for future investments or to cover emergent costs”.
The council earned an unqualified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office, following its review of its draft financial statements, internal control framework and financial sustainability ratios.
“This is the strongest possible assurance that council is providing reliable financial statements which comply with relevant laws and accounting standards and is operating in a financially responsible way,” Cr Wilkie said
