2020/21 Budget - Budget provides $221.9m for jobs-generating capital works
Date published: 30 June 2020
Townsville City Council’s 2020/21 Budget will invest $221.9 million into capital works to support local jobs and upgrade and enhance vital community assets.
Mayor Jenny Hill said the importance of a capital works investment supporting hundreds of local jobs throughout the 2020/21 financial year had never been greater.
“Council’s $221.9 million capital investment in 2020/21 is expected to support more than 1,769 jobs, at a time when our community needs it,” Cr Hill said.
“This type of investment is essential in helping our community recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic.”
Townsville Water and Waste committee chairperson Russ Cook said a sizeable chunk of Council’s capital spend in 2020/21 would be on water and wastewater infrastructure.
“In recent years Council has invested considerably in the utilities in our CBD and now it’s time to move to our suburbs,” Cr Cook said.
“These types of works will secure good quality infrastructure for the future.”
The budget includes $23.5 million for water main renewals, which will see critical pipelines replaced right across Townsville.
“Council’s wastewater collection system will be improved at a cost of $13.6 million, while $13.2 million will be spent upgrading the city’s major water treatment facility to improve its capacity.
“A further $4.7 million will be spent on the renewal of the city’s wastewater treatment facilities while $2.4 million will be spent on the first stage of the construction of a new wastewater pump station at Wulguru.
“The new Wulguru pump station is an important project as it will reduce the likelihood of sewerage overflows in periods of high rainfall.”
The 2020/21 Budget also includes $11.6 million to upgrade Council landfills across the city to ensure they continue to comply with environmental best practice and can continue to meet demand well into the future.
Infrastructure Services committee chairperson Mark Molachino said local roads and pathways had also attracted a considerable investment.
“This year’s budget includes $11 million to upgrade roads across the city, ensuring residents can get where they need to go efficiently and safely,” Cr Molachino said.
“There’s also $6 million to upgrade pathways, especially around local schools, which will ensure our youngest residents can get to and from school safely. Council acknowledges the support for the State Government for this work.”
Cr Molachino said the revitalisation of Central Park would continue as part of the infrastructure spend in the 2020/21 Budget.
The budget also includes $5 million towards the continued expansion of the Douglas Water Treatment Plant Laboratory, which will ensure it continues to be the most capable local government lab north of Brisbane due to the array of services it offers.
