The Mareeba Shire Council Annual Report for 2023-24 has been tabled at today’s Ordinary Council Meeting. The report outlines the key outcomes, projects and services delivered in the reporting period.
“The annual report is Council’s opportunity to share with the community our activities and strategies for the last financial year. I am very pleased to be able to present an unqualified Audit opinion that indicates positive financially sustainability,” said Mayor Angela Toppin.
“The surplus shown is predominantly sourced from the water and wastewater programs and will be held in reserve to put towards funding the critical infrastructure needs in the near future.”
The report includes a snapshot of Mareeba Shire as well as Council’s key service statistics, including:
- A total of 2,302km of roads (including 1,639km of unsealed roads)
- 233km of water mains maintained
- 49,371 swimming pool admissions across Mareeba, Kuranda and Dimbulah pools
- 17,934 customer centre calls received
- 252 hectares of parks, gardens and open spaces maintained
“Council’s $34.5 million capital works program was a cornerstone of our efforts this year,” said Mayor Toppin.
“The Australian and Queensland governments provided $22.8 million, a crucial investment for the renewal of existing assets, including $7.67 million allocated to transport infrastructure, $5.69 million for wastewater infrastructure, and $2.63 million for water infrastructure”.
“Additionally, we dedicated $4.5 million to enhance community facilities and active recreation assets,” continued Mayor Toppin.
One of Council’s major projects was the Southern Bicentennial Lakes Precinct, which introduced new amenities including a toilet block, playground, and pump track in Mason Street, Mareeba.
Another highlight of the report was that Mareeba Shire Council is among the 29 local governments in Queensland (out of 77) that are not at risk of being financially unsustainable, according to the Queensland Audit Office.
While there were a lot of highlights in this reporting period, the impact of Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the devastating flood event in December 2023 presented significant challenges for our Shire.
“With over 900 calls and 185 requests for assistance during the event, we faced unprecedented requests for support. More than half of our Shire’s road network was affected, as well as critical infrastructure, underscoring the severity of this weather event,” concluded Mayor Toppin.