Redland City Council’s strong financial position has been reinforced with the release of its 2012-13 Annual Report.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the annual report showed that 2012-13 was a strong year for Council.
“All areas of Council have worked hard to improve our financial position and customer service focus and our 2012-13 Annual Report shows the tremendous outcomes of these efforts,” she said.
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“It shows we are in an enviable financial position and it is comforting to know that Council is in strong and sustainable financial health.”
Cr Williams said Council’s strong financial position meant it could better deal with unforeseen disasters or changes in circumstances.
“Our cash balance has increased to $82.5 million, which equates to nearly five months of cash reserves, which exceeds our target of three to four months. This means if anything happened we could continue to operate and continue to serve the community,” she said.
“Much of this improvement can be attributed to the return of Redland Water to our operations, which has resulted in an increase in assets owned and operated by Council and improved Council revenue through water and wastewater.
“Our strong financial position is also down to the hard work and dedication of Council staff who have worked hard to deliver for the community.
Cr Williams said the annual report also recognises other key achievements, including the declaration of two Priority Development Areas for the Redlands.
“The Queensland Government declaring Toondah Harbour and Weinam Creek as PDAs was certainly one of the biggest and most exciting achievements for the 2012-13 financial year and one that will see major benefits for the community for years to come,” she said.
“The annual report also highlights a change in culture within Council that has seen an increased focus on customer service and efficiency which has delivered significant financial savings.
“It also shows we have kept rates to a minimum, with the lowest general rate increases of any comparable South East Queensland council, while at the same time delivering significant savings to ratepayers by absorbing a range of costs imposed by other levels of government.
“While these results are great news for Council and the entire community we must be mindful that we cannot drop the ball and must continue to look at ways to deliver better and more efficient services to our community.”
