When the varied financial position of Central Queensland Local Government was put under the microscope of the Auditor-General, Rockhampton and Central Highlands councils were revealed as the only financially stable entities.
The analysis by Auditor-General Brendan Worrell found one-third of Queensland councils were at “high risk” of not being financially sustainable and 70 per cent spent more than they earned in 2020.
The report ranked councils financial sustainability measures and risk.
Gladstone, Livingstone and Woorabinda councils were all found to have average asset sustainability ratios less than 50 per cent, considered to be high-risk.
In his report into the audit, Mr Worrell studied the finances of 77 Queensland councils, highlighting the impact the COVID pandemic had on council finances.
Audit reveals challenging times for CQ councils gladstoneobserver.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gladstoneobserver.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Livingstone Shire council has voted to slash a list of 25 roads to be resealed down to three.
The council’s capital reseal program for the 2020/21 financial year was flagged to cost more than $565,000 with roads like Svendsen Road, Wood Street, Ferguson Street, Casuarina Ave, and others to be resealed.
Executive director for infrastructure Michael Kriedemann said the evaluations for these roads took place in 2018, and that’s when it was decided when these roads might need to be sealed in the future.
But upon further inspection, Mr Kriedemann said they did not need to be sealed in the upcoming financial year.
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It was the vote that reduced the mayor to tears.
Livingstone Shire Council was presented with a notice of motion from mayor Andy Ireland to rename the Fig Tree Creek bridge in Yeppoon after young student Rhys Yore.
But the council had to consider some tough questions about the heartfelt proposal during its ordinary meeting on April 20.
Later that day, the community gathered at the bridge to set up a memorial for the St Brendan’s student, and messages of support have since been written on the guardrail.
“Unless you’ve lost a child, there’s no way of really understanding the grief of an incident of this nature,” Cr Ireland told the meeting.
Job opportunities arise with new Yeppoon Resource Centre themorningbulletin.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from themorningbulletin.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.