Last Monday I joined fellow Council of Mayors (SEQ) colleagues and the Queensland and Australian Governments at the official signing of the $1.8 billion South East Queensland (SEQ) City Deal.
The SEQ City Deal is a 20-year partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and the 11 Councils that form the Council of Mayors (SEQ) and is designed to support population growth with region-shaping infrastructure.
I’m pleased to say that there are some great opportunities in here for Logan including a direct investment of $78.46 million and access to a regional funding pool of over $400 million in the first five years.
Some of the highlights of the Deal include a regional Liveability Fund with Logan’s slice of the pie valued at $32.46 million. Delivering much needed community facilities in some of the fastest growing areas of the city is high on my agenda. Along with investment from Council, this funding will mean Council can deliver more of what the community has been asking for including pools, libraries, performing arts centres and sport centres.
The City of Logan will also benefit from an investment of $46 million in transport projects. This includes an additional investment of $45 million in the Meadowbrook Health Precinct and funding to progress the business case for the Southern Gateway Corridor.
Waste reform and infrastructure investment is another key feature of the Deal and an innovative plan from Logan, Ipswich and Redland City Councils (SEQ sub-regional waste alliance) to build a regional Material Recovery Facility (MRF) could be one of the first projects considered as part of the $105 million fund.
While it’s still early days we believe the regional MRF would deliver real benefits for our community including local jobs, diversion of more waste from landfill and long-term cost savings to the ratepayer.
The SEQ City Deal sets the path for a collaborative approach that will benefit the whole SEQ region, and I look forward to working with my fellow Mayors and our State and Federal Ministers and Members to bring this unique opportunity to life.
