The question we need to be asking is:
[ul]What good does Brisbane City Council’s debt do the community here in the upper Kedron Brook valley suburbs of Keperra Ferny Grove and Upper Kedron? What benefits accrue here?[/ul]
Rates that are paid by owners of properties in these three suburbs. What are those rates spent on either in these suburbs or in ways that will directly benefit ratepayers of these suburbs?
Debt is incurred by Brisbane City Council to fund infrastructure. Will that infrastructure directly provide benefit to the ratepayers of properties in these three suburbs?
It is quite possible that cross-country tunnels will make it easier for residents of Ipswich to get to the Brisbane Airport. They don’t pay rates to Brisbane City Council. Should ratepayers in the upper Kedron Brook valley be paying for these sorts of services?
The Financial Statements don’t give a breakdown by suburb so it wouldn’t be possible from these Statements to come up with a decent assessment of what is spent locally here.
In contrast this sort of information is provided constantly in the Moreton Bay Regional Council by Cr Brian Battersby for Ferny Hills and Arana Hills.
It is time that Brisbane City Council had accounts at the very least for each Ward. How much is spent in Enoggera Ward for example?