YOUR RATES AT WORK - 2025/26 Budget

Southern Downs Regional Council is preparing the 2025/26 Budget and is holding information sessions to explain how ratepayers’ money will be invested across the region — from roads and rubbish, to parks, services, and infrastructure. These sessions are your chance to learn more, ask questions, and share your thoughts for future budgets.

You'll get an overall snapshot of where your rates go across Council’s functions and what services and infrastructure are funded. We’ll break things down so it’s easy to understand and Councillors and council staff will be available to answer any questions you may have.

No, all sessions will cover the same key information, so you only need to attend one. Just pick the time and location that suits you best. You’re welcome to come to more than one if you’d like, but it’s not necessary.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend — ratepayers, residents, business owners, and more - anyone interested in how Council is working to build a stronger region. If you live here, work here, or visit here, this information is for you.

No worries — you can still learn about the budget. Head to www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/living-here/have-your-say/2025-26-budget to share your thoughts or explore key budget information. You can also learn more by contacting Council on 1300 697 372 or via email to budget@sdrc.qld.gov.au.

Your feedback will help Council understand what matters most to the community. This insight will help guide future decisions and priorities throughout the region.

Council provides a wide range of services and infrastructure, from roads, waste collection, and water services to libraries, parks, pools, animal management, economic development, and community programs. Some costs are visible, like new footpaths and park upgrades. Others, like maintaining critical infrastructure, planning, and service administration and advocacy are less obvious but just as important.

Each year, Council prepares a budget that balances community needs, infrastructure priorities, and available funding. It’s shaped by strategic planning, service reviews, and legislation— all with consideration to rising costs and available revenue.

Council staff use important planning documents to help shape the budget. These include things like the corporate plan (our big-picture goals), the operational plan (what we’re doing this year), and the asset management plans (how we look after things like roads, parks and buildings).

To plan how much money we’ll need - and where it’s going to come from – Council considers a variety of factors, like how much services cost, the level of service we want to provide, any risks or legal requirements, interest rates, what grant funding is available and the overall economy.

Before we think about raising rates or fees, we always check if we can cover costs with grants, contributions, or other means.

Budget planning usually kicks off between January and March. During this time, managers and coordinators work on their area’s budget, and the Finance team brings everything together. This draft budget then goes to Council’s leadership team, Councillors and the Mayor for briefing and feedback – this process can take up to 4 months as changes are incorporated. Once all of the feedback has been considered and the draft budget has been fully compiled, it is sent to the Council Chambers one final time for voting and adoption, and at this meeting Council can implement their final amendments.

 

Council works hard to make sure funding goes where it’s needed most. We look at factors like safety, risk, the laws we must follow, long-term planning, and how much benefit a project brings to the community.

Essential services - like roads, water, waste, and safety - always come first. After that, we focus on projects that help our community grow, improve liveability, and support the local economy.

We also rank projects based on how much money is available. This helps us choose what can be done in the coming year.

When it comes to day-to-day services, we group things into five types:

• Essential - must-do, legally required
• Core - basic services
• Community - things that help people connect
• Corporate - internal support services
• Discretionary - extras we fund when possible

We aim to strike a balance between service levels, cost, and risk to get the best results for the community with the money we have.

Your rates go toward a mix of essential services. For example:

• A large portion goes to roads, waste, and water infrastructure
• Some supports community services like parks, libraries, and events
• A portion covers internal operations and regulatory responsibilities

We aim to keep the balance fair and focused on long-term value for residents.

Behind every service is a team of people, systems, and compliance costs that make it possible. Reducing “admin” sounds simple, but most back-end costs support frontline services. We continually review operations to find savings and improve efficiency, but it’s not always possible to shift large amounts without impacting service delivery.

Council doesn’t fund things like schools, hospitals, police, national parks or main roads as these are State or Federal Government responsibilities. We focus on local infrastructure and services that support the liveability and functionality of our region.

The costs of delivering services are subject to national economic inflation. Things such as fuel, materials, labour, insurances, and leasing are all expenses that increase over time and need to be accounted for in the budget. Council works hard to keep rate increases modest while continuing to invest in vital infrastructure and services.