Brisbane budget includes cheapest rates in SEQ
Brisbane City Council’s $4.1 billion budget was announced by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner this week, which features home-owner rate reductions and cost-of-living relief.
As part of the 2025-26 budget, Brisbane residents will receive the cheapest home-owner rates in Southeast Queensland, with $1.14 weekly or 3.87 per cent yearly increases.
Other Queensland councils are charging between $240 and $560 more per year in homeowner rates. The $60 on-time discount for rates will remain, which saved residents more than $16 million last financial year.
From October 1st, new inner city apartment owners will also see rates improved. There are hopes that more homes will be delivered after a review of low-medium residential areas, alongside a city-wide roll-out of green bins to eligible houses.
Schrinner said the budget includes a plan to drive down debt in Brisbane. The goal is to see net debt lowered by 21 per cent by 2028/29, from $3.7 billion to $2.9 billion.
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“This Budget ensures Brisbane residents continue to pay less than other councils but get more, with 85 per cent of the Budget invested in our suburbs where people live, work and relax,” he said.
Schrinner said they will also promote safer and more efficient transport in Brisbane.
“Our balanced Budget lets us upgrade traffic systems, improve road and school safety and plan the long-term restoration of the Story Bridge without adding unnecessary costs onto residents,” he said.
Schrinner said the bridge will continue to be restored on an as-needed basis over the next 15 years.
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“This is a long-term project. The bridge is 85 years old and built to last 100 years, and restoration will ensure it can serve our region another century and much more,” he said.
The budget will also see benefits for seniors with a $50 increase to Brisbane’s maximum pensioner rebate scheme, which is up to a possible $1298 per year.
Free off-peak travel for seniors will also continue, as well as the return of $2 summer dips and pool upgrades in Newmarket, Runcorn, Parkinson and Fortitude Valley. $500,000 will also be donated to Emmanuel City Mission to establish a 24/7 homeless shelter in South Brisbane, and a 25 per cent increase in funding for suburban community events and multicultural festivals.
Along with the Mt Coot-tha transformation plan and improvements to Brisbane roads and transport services, the budget has also outlined funding for a Queen Street Mall expansion along Albert Street to support Cross River Rail.
Additional pay-by-app options for on-street parking will also be made available. The new Coffee Carts in Parks program will allow for food and coffee trucks to operate in over 100 approved locations across the city.
Also included is an upgrade to Bulimba Library and t$1.9 million tree-planting along transport corridors to Olympic and Paralympic Games venues.
There will also be koala-focused tree planting in bushland reserves with koala recovery, resilience and vaccination programs also being supported. Boost Platypus by 2032 is part of the city’s plan to protect and boost Brisbane’s significantly declining platypus population.
