Townsville City Council Annual Report 2011/12
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townsville city council Annual Report 2011/12 Strong Resilient Future TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12 1 Strong Resilient Future Townsville - vibrant, progressive and a great lifestyle. Our mission Working with our community to provide quality services through commitment and leadership. Our guiding principles At Townsville City Council we are committed to making decisions responsibly and acting with integrity, honesty and respect. Our staff are our most valuable asset and we will treat everyone with fairness and equity. We value learning teams and a collaborative approach to deliver the best service for our customers. We will work with our community and business stakeholders to help build a healthy, progressive and prosperous city. We will provide stewardship to maintain, protect and enhance our natural environment. Our Corporate Goals Economic Sustainability A robust, diverse and sustainable economy. Environmental Sustainability Our environment is valued, protected and healthy. Social Sustainability Enhancement of opportunities for social engagement and well-being. Responsible Governance Responsible leadership where decisions are made in a considered and transparent manner. Our Values Service We Commit To Excellence. People We Value Each Other. Integrity We Do The Right Thing. Respect We Learn Through Listening. Enjoyment We Create a Fun Workplace. 2 Contents Townsville - vibrant, progressive and a great lifestyle (About Townsville) 4 Fast Facts 6 Message from the Mayor 7 Your elected representatives 8 Representing community interest 10 2011/12 Entertainment for everyone 11 Our commitment to accountability and transparency 12 Shaping a place to be proud of (Community Plan Report) 13 Shaping Townsville 14 Strong, Connected Community 16 Environmentally Sustainable Future 19 Sustaining Economic Growth 20 Understanding our Financial Performance 22 CEO Report 27 Celebrating our Achievements 28 Serving our Community (Organisational Overview) 30 Operational Plan Report 32 Our contribution to a robust, diverse and sustainable economy 32 Our contribution to a valued, protected and healthy environment 47 Enhancing opportunities for social engagement and well-being 56 Providing responsible leadership for the community 73 Townsville Water Annual Operations Report 2011/12 86 Townsville Waste Services Annual Operations Report 2011/12 93 Financial Statements 99 APPENDIX A: Councillor Expenses Reimbursement Policy 147 APPENDIX B: Overseas Travel 150 APPENDIX C: Registers 151 APPENDIX D: Councillor Remuneration and Meeting Attendance 152 APPENDIX E: Together Townsville 156 Index of legislative requirements 157 Index 158 TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12 3 Strong Resilient Future Townsville - vibrant, progressive and a great lifestyle Townsville is the largest city Townsville’s early stages in Queensland outside of the Traditional owners and custodians, the Bindal and South East Corner. With a Wulgurukaba people were the first people to have lived in the region we now call Townsville. The Bindal and Wulgurukaba growth rate for the 10 years people have lived in this region for many generations and June 2006 – 2016 of 2.4%, archaeological sites near Townsville have been dated over 10,000 years old. compared to the state average When Captain James Cook first charted the east coast and of 1.9%, our city is rated one claimed the land for Britain, he named Cleveland Bay and of the top 10 fastest growing Magnetic Island, which are now regarded as significant features of our landscape. Europeans did not settle in the local government areas in Townsville region until the 1860s when a port was established Queensland. Townsville offers on Cleveland Bay, which exported beef, and later sugar and gold. The city boomed and in the late 1800s, the Northern exciting and diverse experiences with a mix of Railway was built which facilitated urban expansion. reef, outback, rainforest, beautiful beaches and During World War II, Townsville was established as a large all the benefits of a big city, so it’s not hard to military base for both Australian and American armed forces personnel and has remained a strategic base for the Australian see why so many people are attracted to such a Defence Force. spectacular part of Australia. The industry supporting our city Even from its earliest days, Townsville has been the commercial, industrial and administrative hub of North Queensland. The strategic location of the city, with road, rail, air and sea links attracts industries, investors and new residents to North Queensland, enabling Townsville to become one of the most dynamic and resilient regional cites in Australia. Key industries in the region include public administration, mining and manufacturing, real estate, construction, agriculture and tourism. Townsville has become an important regional city for state and federal government departments with many branches located within the city. Permanent Australian Defence Forces are located at Lavarack Barracks and at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Townsville base. Nickel, Zinc and Copper refineries are all based in the city. A multi-cargo port services the heavy industry, supply and agriculture sector. A variety of educational and research facilities are also located in the city. Our unique environment The local government area of Townsville covers an area of 3,736km2 (0.2% of the total area of the State of Queensland), and is located halfway between the tip of Cape York and Brisbane. The city’s major river, the Ross River, begins in the foothills of the Hervey and Mount Stuart ranges and flows through to its outlet in Cleveland Bay. The city’s skyline is dominated by Castle Hill and Mt Stuart and world heritage listed Magnetic Island lies just 8km offshore. Townsville is situated in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region, and has a dry, tropical climate with lower rainfall than elsewhere in the tropics. The region is characterised by diverse landforms and natural environments. This diverse natural habitat 4 supports a wide range of flora and fauna, including 53 mammal celebrate music, food and festivities, with a range of festivals species, around 400 bird species, a large number of reptiles catering for all ages and tastes. Festivals such as the Cultural and amphibians including estuarine and freshwater crocodiles Fest, Greek Fest, Townsville 400 Festival, Full Noise Festival, and a diverse range of lizard and frog species. Endangered, Australian Festival of Chamber Music, and the Palmer Street vulnerable and rare species are also found, including Jazz Festival fill up our social calendars. mahogany gliders, dugongs, cassowaries and northern quolls. Our strong, resilient future Our enviable lifestyle With steady population growth expected to continue for the The city is renowned for its easygoing lifestyle, tropical foreseeable future, it is imperative that we plan for our future weather and natural surroundings where residents and visitors sustainability, liveability and economic prosperity. The values make the most of the sunny days and outdoor activities. of the city and its residents are increasingly demanding a more Outdoor destinations in Townsville include, The Strand, a strategic approach to the type of economic activity that the 2.2km long promenade along the beachfront which attracts city attracts, their location and overall growth management. thousands of visitors and locals each week. Riverway, located To ensure Townsville continues to grow in the desired direction on the Ross River offers two huge swimming lagoons, and of the community, strategic planning is crucial. Activities extensive parklands which are visited regularly by locals and currently being undertaken include the development of visitors. Magnetic Island, known locally as “Maggie”, offers essential infrastructure such as water treatment facilities, walking tracks through bushlands with magnificent coastal the preservation of our city’s heritage and strategic land views, beaches and water sports. Paluma, north of the city, use planning. These activities will assist in ensuring that is surrounded by extensive rainforests, swimming holes, Townsville remains a strong centre for regional employment camping spots, bushwalking opportunities, wildlife and and productivity without compromising liveability in our birdlife. tropical North Queensland lifestyle. Townsville also offers educational, arts and cultural Our vision for the future is to be a well built city, a gateway destinations with the Perc Tucker Gallery, Townsville Civic to Queensland, connecting our residents to their community Theatre, Riverway Arts Centre and Pinnacles Gallery. The city through an active lifestyle. We aim to be leaders of is home to the acclaimed Reef HQ Aquarium, the national positive environmental actions, acclaimed for our business education centre for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park entrepreneurship, government enterprise, innovations, Authority and the award winning Museum of Tropical North technology and cultural stewardship. In terms of lifestyle, we Queensland, a museum of natural history and archaeology. believe Townsville can offer something for everyone! We love our sport and support three national sporting teams, the North Queensland Cowboys, Townsville Crocodiles and the Townsville Fire. The city also hosts sporting events such as the V8 Supercars Sucrogen Townsville 400, the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships, Magnetic Island Raceweek, Townsville Triathlon Festival and regularly attracts other national and international