Budget work starts long before June

When most people think about Council’s Budget, they think about June — that’s when it’s adopted and when headlines tend to appear.

But what many don’t see is that the real work starts months earlier.

Councillors have now formally begun work on the 2026/2027 Budget, and I want to reassure our community that this is a careful, staged and considered process. Budgets are not put together overnight, and they’re certainly not decisions made on a whim.

This year we are holding a series of Special Budget Meetings, allowing Councillors to work progressively through the draft Budget in detail. Each session focuses on different areas — revenue, operational costs, capital works, service levels and long-term financial impacts. It is methodical, deliberate work.

At the adoption of last year’s Budget, I was upfront in acknowledging that our General Fund had developed a structural deficit over previous terms of government— a position that is not sustainable over the long term. Since then, we have been working to reset Council’s financial settings so we can restore balance in a measured and responsible way.

As Mayor, I believe we have a responsibility to address that rather than doing nothing and passing the pressure to future councils and future generations.

In practice this means examining expenditure, challenging assumptions and testing long-term impacts to ensure Council lives within its means. That doesn’t mean cutting for the sake of cutting, but it does mean being disciplined and responsible with public funds. That work will inevitably involve making choices about priorities, timing and how services are delivered so they remain sustainable into the future.

We also understand that many households and businesses across the Whitsundays are feeling cost-of-living pressures. That reality reinforces the importance of Council operating efficiently and ensuring every dollar delivers value to the community.

Our goal is to deliver a responsible and sustainable Budget that maintains essential services, provides value for money and strengthens Council’s long-term financial position.

The final Budget will be adopted in June, but the foundation is being laid now. This is deliberate work aimed at strengthening Council’s financial position while maintaining the services our community relies on.

As Mayor, I can assure the community that we are approaching this task with care, transparency and a clear focus on long-term financial sustainability.

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