CASSOWARY COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL 2020 Annual Report Welcome... to the Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s $QQXDO5HSRUWIRUWKH¿QDQFLDO\HDU-XO\ WR-XQH Council acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Caretakers of the land and pays respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging. We ‘love the place we live’ and acknowledge the honour that it is to serve this community. Your Council. Photo credits throughout to Tourism and Events Queensland and Tropical Coast Tourism. Contents Our Regional Community ................................................................ 1 Where we live ........................................................................................................1 Who we are ...........................................................................................................1 Your Council ......................................................................................2 Council’s vision, mission and core values .............................................................2 A message from the Mayor ...................................................................................3 A message from the CEO ......................................................................................4 Your Councillors – their role ..................................................................................5 The regions divisions .............................................................................................6 &RXQFLOVHUYLFHVVWUXFWXUHDQGVWDႇ .....................................................................7 Encouraging and supporting diversity and equity ..................................................8 Producing Outcomes .......................................................................9 A Corporate Plan ...................................................................................................9 An Annual Operational Plan and Report ...............................................................9 1. Growth and economic sustainability ...........................................................10 &RPPXQLW\¿UVW ..........................................................................................11 3. Sustainable infrastructure ..........................................................................12 4. Responsible governance ...........................................................................13 Statutory Information ...................................................................... 15 Governance ...................................................................................... 25 Community Financial Report .........................................................27 +RZGLG&RXQFLOSHUIRUP" SUR¿WDQGORVV ..........................................................27 :KDWGRZHRZQRZH EDODQFHVKHHW .................................................................29 Statement of changes in Equity ............................................................................33 Statement of Cash Flows .....................................................................................33 Financial Sustainability Ratios ..............................................................................34 Financial Reporting ......................................................................... 36 OUR REGIONAL COMMUNITY Torres Strait Torres Island Regional Shire Northern Peninsula Area Regional Mapoon Aboriginal Shire MAREEBA Weipa Town CAIRNS Authority Lockhart River Napranum Aboriginal Shire Aboriginal Shire Aurukun Shire Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire CASSOWARY GREAT COAST BARRIER Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire TABLELANDS REEF Where we live Kowanvama Aboriginal Shire Wujal Wujal Cook Aboriginal Shire Shire The region governed by the Douglas Shire Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire HINCHINBROOK Carpentaria Cassowary Coast Regional Mornington Shire Mareeba Shire Shire Cairns Doomadgee Regional Aboriginal Shire Council covers an area of Cassowary Tablelands Coast Croydon Regional Burke Shire Regional TOWNSVILLE Shire 2 Etheridge 4702km from Garradunga Shire Hinchinbrook Shire Townsville City in the north to Cardwell in the south and East Palmerston in the west, and includes national park and state forest, rural and urban communities. Brisbane City WHO WE ARE • The original inhabitants of the Cassowary • The major townships are Innisfail, Tully, Coast area were the Bandjin, Djiru, Cardwell and Mission Beach. Girramay, Gulnay, Jirrbal and Mamu Aboriginal people. • There are over 3,500 businesses operating LQWKHDUHD0RVWVLJQL¿FDQWHPSOR\HUVDUH • European settlement dates from the $JULFXOWXUHIRUHVWU\DQG¿VKLQJ 1860s when the township of Cardwell was - Manufacturing established as a port to support the growth - Healthcare and social services of the sugar cane industry. - Retail - Accommodation and food services. • Its almost 30,000 residents populate a mix of town, rural and coastal communities and between them speak 48 languages and SUDFWLFHGLႇHUHQWUHOLJLRQV 1 YOUR COUNCIL COUNCIL’S VISION 7KH&RXQFLO¶VYLVLRQLVDUHÀHFWLRQRIKRZLWYDOXHVLWVFRPPXQLWLHVDQGVWDNHKROGHUVKRZLWGRHVLWV business and how to best achieve a prosperous future. Delivering outcomes for a vibrant and prosperous community that ‘loves the place we live’ is fundamental to the vision of “better together”. COUNCIL’S MISSION We are committed to providing strong leadership and direction to build community capacity and enhance economic growth and build the region’s reputation for opportunity, a prosperous and relaxed lifestyle and of outstanding natural beauty. COUNCIL’S CORE VALUES At Council, we are committed to working as one team to achieve for our customers and community. &RXQFLO¶VZRUNLWVLQWHUDFWLRQZLWKLWVFRPPXQLW\DQGVWDNHKROGHUVDQGWKHZD\VWDႇWUHDWHDFK other, is based on seven core values that form the basis of its vision and ethos. 1 2 3 POSITIVE EQUITY HONESTY ATTITUDE AND EMPATHY Reflected in Fairness In all our everything for all dealings we do 4 5 6 7 STRIVING FOR INTEGRITY VISIONARY TRANSPARENT EXCELLENCE & AND LEADERSHIP AND BEST PRACTICE CREDIBILITY ACCOUNTABLE Reflected in We will do what Decisive and We will everything we say and say for the benefit communicate and be responsible for we do what we do of the region our decisions 2 package as a special feature of the A MESSAGE budget to provide relief to ratepayers who are unable to pay rates and FROM THE charges due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Looking to the future I am acutely MAYOR aware that our asset base is not sustainable and applies too much 2020 will go down in history as burden to our community which being the year we experienced an has sent a clear message that our unprecedented crisis in a global rates should be more in line with pandemic, COVID-19. surrounding regions. I was elected Mayor at the height The value of Cassowary Coast’s of this event when the Cassowary asset base per rateable property &RDVWZDVLQORFNGRZQDQGDQLQÀX[ in 2018/19 was $74,024 compared of postal votes caused a delay in to $44,177 for the Tablelands and the electoral commission’s counting. Our Regional Skills Investment $48,371 for the Hinchinbrook Shire. Finally when we had a result the 6FKHPH 56,6 LQVWLJDWHGWZR Without change this will continue GLႈFXOWEXVLQHVVRILQGXFWLQJDQHZ career days to provide pathways into the future with the potential to Council began. for the region’s youth into the local worsen as Council seeks to provide workforce. Despite my short tenure as Mayor to new and upgraded assets to meet date, having served as a Councillor We recognised small community changes in regulation, standards and in the previous term I thankfully have groups and motivated individuals as community need. WKHDGYDQWDJHRIKLQGVLJKWWRUHÀHFW key assets to our region, investing 7RHQVXUHORQJWHUP¿QDQFLDO on key achievements throughout the $118,600 through and grants and sustainability while keeping full 2019/20 year. community funding schemes downward pressure on rates, Council Council contributed to the We endeavoured to support the should reduce its large asset base. Cassowary Coast’s economic varying needs of all sectors of our We must continuously plan, review growth by spending $38.3M locally community, from young families to and make decisions about the on infrastructure, maintenance the elderly with Council’s Family provision of assets and ensure that DQGVHUYLFHV$VLJQL¿FDQWDPRXQW Day Care Program retaining sixteen assets are well utilised and represent of operational and capital funding Educators to care for over 150 value to the community. was contributed by the Queensland children, and our Housing Service It is proposed that through the Government through the Works 4 accommodating up to 100 tenants rationalisation of assets Council can Queensland Program. I would like throughout the year. reduce asset costs such as annual to take this opportunity to thank Upon my election in April 2020, depreciation, insurance premiums the State for its valuable support IRUHFDVWLQJ¿QDQFLDOSUHVVXUHV and operational and maintenance throughout the year in programs that would result in an economic expenditure by $400,000. such as this. downturn due to COVID-19 was The process will involve liaising with With $1.7B worth of gross assets to WKH¿UVWRUGHURIEXVLQHVVZLWKMXVW the Cassowary Coast Community maintain, Council is big business but weeks to prepare the budget for the Consultative Group to ensure that without a doubt our people are our QH[W¿QDQFLDO\HDU the community is consulted in regard most valuable asset and Cassowary As such we made the decision to to achieving savings through asset Coast