Corporate Services - Budget

In this year’s budget, Toowoomba Regional Council has been careful to target its corporate investment to create long-term efficiencies.

“This is a time for responsible, cautious and far-sighted leadership. Corporate services are essentially about the business of council and we are determined to run a tight ship,” Corporate Services portfolio leader Cr John McVeigh said.

The seven areas of governance and administration, financial services, procurement and trade services, information management, human resources, corporate communication and legal services are integral to the smooth operation of council and the delivery of council services.

“This year’s budget will herald a period of consolidation and progress for council following the challenges of a complex amalgamation. A significant effort has been made to limit our recurrent operating costs.

“I particularly applaud advances made in the area of Information Management where a wide area network telecommunications project has now united staff in a single computer system across the region.

“These technologies will improve customer service levels while allowing staff to finetune their skills and work programs.

“Information technology will continue to be a high priority for this council with an allocation of almost $900,000 in this budget.

“This money has been earmarked to improve organisational processes particularly in the areas of document management, workflow, customer service, telecommunications efficiency, radio systems capability, spatial information and core systems integration, and asset management.

“Council’s newly amalgamated large, diverse, and in some cases, aging fleet of vehicles and machinery were identified in our budget deliberations.

“Council will spend $14million updating and modernising the fleet. This is particularly important given that fleet and plant items retained beyond a certain age pose problems in terms of reliability and availability.

“It is well known that the maintenance cost and the gap that Council has to fund to replace the item becomes larger as older items lose their residual value. A modern, well maintained fleet ensures that services are delivered at the lowest possible cost.

“Modern vehicles and plant items are also more fuel efficient and ‘greener’ as exhaust emissions are constantly being reduced to meet international standards. Amalgamation has also allowed us to create budget efficiencies by sharing equipment between districts and better fleet utilisation.

“As one of the largest employers in the region, council continues to vie for significant numbers of apprentices, trainees and school-based trainees under the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.

“This financial year council has placed bids for 12 apprentices, 22 trainees and 10 school-based trainees. Funding assistance will assist us to employ fulltime apprentices and trainees under the First Start program while the Youth Training Incentives program provides funding to assist school students undertaking school-based qualifications.

“The First Start program particularly focuses on providing training and employment opportunities for groups identified as being disadvantaged in the labour market.

“There is also an increased focus on environment-related or ‘green’ training qualifications consistent with the State Government’s Green Army initiative.

“Green traineeships will be targeted at Certificate II and III levels in occupations such as conservation and land management, horticulture and waste and water management.

“As a regional organisation, TRC is a significant property holder. Council currently owns 1620 freehold properties, valued at $156.5million, and controls a further 730 reserves. The total land under Council’s control is almost 13,000 hectares.

“It is imperative that council manage its property holdings in line with its long-term strategic and operational needs.

“To this end we will be undertaking a strategic property review. The review is expected to result in the sale of some properties and the purchase of others.

“Under review will be things like city precinct proposals including short and long term options for the former TAFE site, reviewing our presence in Highfields in relation to a new library facility and considering how we can better serve the needs of local communities stretching from Yarraman in the north to Millmerran in the south.

“Also under consideration will be a rationalisation or upgrade of council facilities, identifying strategic land acquisitions and selling land identified as surplus to council or community requirements.

“It is expected that this task will enhance efficient operation through improved economies of scale,” Cr McVeigh said.