Councillors raise concerns over Council borrowings

Cr David Law and Cr Christian Dickson have voted against Sunshine Coast Council’s first budget review for 2026-27, raising concerns about increased borrowing and the number of capital projects being delivered.

The review increases Council’s capital works program by $43.5 million, from $296.5 million to $340 million, including projects carried over from the previous financial year.

Div 10 Cr David Law at Thursday’s meeting.

It also includes about $18 million in additional grant funding and lifts planned borrowings by $20 million.

Cr Law questioned whether Council was taking on more debt while projects had been cancelled, deferred or pushed further into its long-term program.

His concern, he said, was that Council was “borrowing to do less”.

“My comment is that to get here we are borrowing $20 million. And when you look at the capital program that we have had, there are fewer projects on there than there might have been otherwise. So projects have been cancelled, moved forward, put way into the future, taken off the 10-year capital program. That’s my point. So we’re borrowing to do less. Not a popular perspective, but that’s the perspective I have – we’re borrowing to do less.”

Cr Dickson said he was also uneasy about increasing borrowings while Council remained in a forecast operating deficit.

Council officers and Cr Ted Hungerford argued much of the increase related to the timing of projects already approved rather than new spending. Council had also delayed drawing down some loans last financial year, saving interest and repayment costs.

The revised budget forecasts a $7.5 million operating deficit, slightly better than the previously forecast $7.6 million.

The budget review was carried, with Cr Law and Cr Dickson voting against it.

Flood-hit Nambour helps shape new resilience guide

Lessons from Nambour’s devastating 2025 floods have helped shape a new Sunshine Coast Council guide aimed at helping homeowners, businesses and community organisations recover more quickly when flooding strikes.

Council unanimously endorsed its Flooding and Coastal Resilience Design Guide, which provides practical advice for new homes and renovations, including building materials, electrical placement, drainage & ways of raising buildings.

Cr David Law highlighted the experience of Nambour Community Kindergarten, which was badly flooded after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and has since been rebuilt with greater flood resilience in mind.

Cr Law said Nambour endured three major flood events in 46 days, leaving businesses, organisations and homeowners facing repeated clean-ups.

He said the kindergarten’s volunteer committee had gained greater certainty about its future after receiving flood-resilient design advice. “And here we are 18 months after that first flood event. And they hope to be welcoming children back into the kindergarten early next year. This report is absolute gold. It provides certainty and clarity and it shows the way to build back better.”

Council officers said the guide was not compulsory, but was designed to help property owners better understand the flood risks affecting individual sites and choose appropriate building responses. The guide includes decision-making flowcharts for new homes and renovations and links users to Council flood and stormwater mapping.

Nambour Community Kindergarten says it is working towards reopening in 2027 following the significant flood damage it suffered in 2025.