General News
27 August, 2025
Councils pressure State on asset funding, waste control
TABLELANDS Regional Council will attempt to get the state’s other 76 councils behind them when they put a motion to the annual conference calling on the Queensland Government to increase funding for the renewal of assets.
It joins neighbouring Mareeba Shire Council which is calling for better waste management at the source, and an “energy charter” from Ergon.
The councils will take their motions to the Local Government Association Queensland 2025 conference in late October.
TRC is hoping it gets the support needed to reduce the financial burden for asset renewals.
A report to council advised many of TRC’s assets were constructed around the same time between 1960-1980, and were approaching end-of-life.
“This means that TRC and other Queensland councils will be required to invest significant funds over the next 10-year timeframe in renewal or replacement of these assets to ensure continuity of service delivery to their communities through these assets in advance of these assets failing,” the report stated.
Most state and federal funding was geared towards upgrading existing, or construction of new, assets, which left the renewal challenge for local governments to fund, putting their long-term financial viability at risk.
“TRC has a small ratepayer base of just 13,665 rateable properties, maintaining 16 towns and villages, with assets spread over 11,419sq km and receives insufficient external funding (that is, State and Federal) to fund this renewal challenge without heavy financial burdens being imposed on current and future ratepayers,” the report stated.
TRC will also call for better resourcing from the State Government for biosecurity management on State-controlled land.
Mareeba Shire Council will be calling on the state to embed a mandatory “whole-of-supply-chain” focus within its Waste Strategy.
At its recent meeting, council said much of the waste management burden fell to local governments, and in Far North Queensland, this had been exacerbated by the closure of the Bedminster facility in Cairns after a fire, which meant all organic waste was being diverted to landfill in Mareeba.
The motion argues that councils across the state have very limited influence over the early stages of the supply chain, where much of the waste was actually generated.
This was particularly true of single-use packaging and non-recyclable materials introduced by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.
“If the State Government is serious about genuinely reducing waste to landfill, then the focus cannot only be on what happens at the point of disposal, it must begin at the point of production and sale,” a report to council stated.
It is the second motion prepared for the conference by MSC after it approved a request that the government urge Ergon Energy to establish a “Customer Charter for Local Government”, to address increasing delays in services and price blowouts.
