Both Councils remain financially sustainable after transfer

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Rockhampton Regional Council has today highlighted that Livingstone Shire Council will remain financially sustainable if Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview are transferred back to the Rockhampton Region.

Mayor Tony Williams said despite claims to the contrary, the independent report from the Queensland Treasury Corporation shows Livingstone’s finances will remain sustainable.

“While I’m not interested in a tit-for-tat with Livingstone, the record needs to be corrected when they’re going to make claims that this decision will make them financially unsustainable,” Mayor Williams said.

“An independent body, the Queensland Treasury Commission, has done a report into the finances of both Councils and it paints a picture of sustainability for Livingstone if the transfer of those suburbs goes ahead.

“Assuming the change does happen at the 2024 election, Livingstone is show to post surpluses every year from 2025.

“So even with the transfer of these suburbs, Livingstone remains in a good financial position. To say otherwise is not a true representation of the facts.

“In contrast, in those six years and with a successful transfer of the suburbs, Rockhampton is only forecast to have a surplus in 2030-31.

“There are a couple of reasons for that, including the fact that we will charge those areas less rates than Livingstone currently does as well as invest more into that corridor to grow our population and our economy.

“The investment we are forecasting, while greater than what Livingstone is spending, is in line with our service levels across the region – so it’s essentially bringing them up to the same amount of investment typical of elsewhere in the Rockhampton Region.

The QTC assessment is available online here: https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/43113/QTC-Financial-impact-assessment-report.pdf

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