PROPOSED 2015/16 ANNUAL BUDGET FACT SHEET

Budget overview

Key goals of the 2015/16 Annual Budget

The Launceston City Council is the largest Council in Tasmania, providing a wide array of services
to more than 65,000 people.
The Council owns and operates several regional facilities such as Aurora Stadium, the Queen
Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Launceston Aquatic, which help to enhance the lives of our
residents, and provides a range of free services to residents including the FREE Tiger Bus and
FREE immunisation programs.
To continue to provide these facilities and services, the Council needs to increase rates and charges
by 2.5 per cent in the 2015/16 financial year.
The services we provide to Launceston and Northern Tasmania are diverse.
The fact is that we provide services for Northern Tasmanian residents from cradle to grave.
(Details of the funding of all of these activities are set out in the Proposed Statutory Estimates
documents that can be found on the Council's website at www.launceston.tas.gov.au or in the
Council's Customer Service Centre at Town Hall).
The Council is aware that our facilities are assets in more than just a financial sense they provide
opportunities for Northern Tasmanians to learn, to exercise, to get to work easily, or to watch a
major sporting event.
Therefore we put in place funding programs to maintain and upgrade these facilities wherever
possible, and will proceed with our Capital Improvement Program throughout 2015/16.
The Services Program (operating budget) provides details of the proposed expenditure in the
financial year ahead.

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PROPOSED 2015/16 ANNUAL BUDGET FACT SHEET

2015-16 Annual Budget at a glance
The 2015-16 Annual Budget has a combined operating and capital expenditure of $105.6m
($109.5m in 2014-15). The 2015-16 Annual Budget includes a Services Program (operating budget)
and a Capital Improvement Program.

Capital Improvement Program:

This includes $3m for various elements of the Launceston City Heart Project, $8.1m for the first
stage of redevelopment works at North Bank, $2.7m for stormwater upgrades, and $8.1m for road,
footpath and bridge improvements.
The capital works program will be funded by a combination of operating revenue and capital grants
from the State and Federal Governments.
The Council actively pursues capital grants funds to assist with the delivery of a range of important
projects. In 2015-16 Roads to Recovery funding will be available to fund some road projects.
Capital Works Funding
Council Operating Funds
Grants
Total

2015/16
$m
18.4
6.2
24.6

2014/15
$m
16.2
10.1
26.2

Service Program (operating budget)

The 2015-16 budget for the ongoing delivery of services to the Northern Tasmanian community is
$71.9m ($69.1m 2014-15). This will ensure the many services and facilities such as immunisations,
parks and sporting grounds, the FREE Tiger Bus, youth programs, events sponsorship and street
cleaning continue to be provided to a high standard.
The Council services funded by the Service Program budget include:

Launceston City Council Services

Air quality and climate change
Albert Hall
Animal control and By-laws
Aurora Stadium
Car parks and on street parking
Cataract Gorge Reserve
Cemetery and cremation
City government
Community development
Community grants program
Community halls
Economic development

NTCA Grounds
Park and Ride (FREE Tiger Bus)
Parks (City Park, Heritage Forest, etc.)
Planning and building approvals
Princess Theatre and Earl Arts Centre
Promotion (tourism, events and CBD)
Public lighting
Public toilets
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Roads, footpaths and cycle ways
Sports grounds (Youngtown, Rocherlea, etc.)
Street and Park tree planting

PROPOSED 2015/16 ANNUAL BUDGET FACT SHEET

Launceston City Council Services
Environment health
Environmental sustainability
Flood mitigation
Immunisation
Inveresk Precinct
Launceston Aquatic
Development services

Street furniture
Stormwater drainage
Street cleaning
Street lighting
Waste and recycling collection
Youth programs
Waste collection and disposal

Your Council rates:

The proportion of rates and charges will vary depending on the value of the property.
For example using a median residential property valued at $270,000:

Residential property valued at $270,000

AAV
Assessed Annual Value - notional annual rental value as calculated
by the Valuer-General
For the current year the Council will be receiving index adjusted
values

12,116.00

Estimated rates and charges

General rates
General charge
Waste management (140 litre bin)
Sub total Estimated Council rates
Of the Council's rates and charges more than 20% is raised
from fixed charges and not based on the property's AAV.
Plus State Fire Commission Levy
Based on property's value and collected on behalf of the State
Government

TOTAL

1,258.00

157.00

$1,415.00

PROPOSED 2015/16 ANNUAL BUDGET FACT SHEET

For the 2015/16 year, as the values will be subject to the indexation of property values by
the Office of the Valuer-General it is not possible to calculate the rate in the dollar amounts.
The above amounts have been estimated based on a 2.5 percent increase in Council rates
and charges and a 5.4 per cent increase in the Fire Service Rate.
There are exceptions where changes in rates are due to supplementary valuations or where
there is a capped increase of 20 per cent in instances of municipal revaluation.

Proposed rating structure

2016
c/$
n/a
n/a
n/a

2015
c/$
8.0770
1.5000
$138.00

Waste Management Charge

85 litre bin
140 litre bin
240 litre bin

n/a
n/a
n/a

$111.00
$141.00
$233.00

State Government Fire Levy

Urban Fire
Lilydale Fire
Rural Fire
Minimum Fire Rate

n/a
n/a
n/a
$36.00

1.2970
0.3800
0.3100
$36.00

n/a
n/a
n/a

$600.00
$620.00
$660.00

Rates and Charges

General
CBD Differential
General Charge

On Site Disposal System

Up to 10 people
11 - 15 people
16 or more people