Situated right next door to the Nation’s Capital and the picturesque southern highlands of NSW, Queanbeyan offers all the benefits of a rural environment with clean air, beautiful scenery, access to the Snowy Mountains and the south coast plus all the advantages of modern city living.
Covering an area of 52 square kilometres, Queanbeyan has a very active population of 27,700 people, keen to share their skills and interests to enhance community life.
In playing its part, Council is working to improve its performance through an ongoing program of responsible financial management, debt reduction and an efficient investment strategy.
“Council stopped borrowing five years ago and while this meant some cutback in expenditure, the reduction in loan repayments is returning an annual saving of $400,000 for use on community projects”, said the Mayor, Cr Frank Pangallo MBE.
In 1997/98 this figure will increase by $750,000. By 2004 Queanbeyan expects to be debt free, saving $1.8 million per year in loan repayments.
Because the City has attracted an annual growth rate of 2-3 percent, there is a continual growth in rate revenue but alongside this is an ongoing demand for new infrastructure. To meet this need and improve the City’s amenity, Council has undertaken the following major projects.
- Construction of a new modern Works Depot, at a cost of $3.2 million, has been completed without the need for any borrowings.
- The City’s Library has been extended, doubling its previous size to provide additional facilities for a community which has a very high rate of library services usage.
- A Waste Minimisation Centre has been established which not only receives the usual recyclables but processes green waste into mulch which is then composted for use in local parks and gardens.
Council is also planning to spend close to $1 million in the 1996/97 financial year on improvements to the central business district. Work will include traffic calming measures, the construction of a bus interchange and general beautification.
“Our vision of being ‘the Council of Quality Customer Service’ means Council is totally committed to making Queanbeyan a better place to live in, to work in, and to do business in,” Cr Pangallo concluded.
