These measures are designed to help put downward pressure on future rate rises despite major cost escalations across the economy.
Mayor Greg Williamson said council had acted decisively to manage rising costs, particularly fuel and electricity, while continuing to deliver essential services for the community.
“Like every household and business, council has been hit hard by cost increases over the past year,” Mayor Williamson said.
He said council had responded with a strong focus on efficiency, innovation and smarter resource deployment.
For example, ongoing upgrades to lighting, building systems and electrical infrastructure are reducing energy consumption across council facilities.
“LED streetlighting upgrades alone have cut energy usage by around 25 per cent from 2023 to 2026,” Mayor Williamson said.
Council is also trialling electric alternatives to petrol‑powered equipment, including robotic mowers and battery‑powered tools, which are quieter, cheaper to run and ideal for high‑use public areas.
“The robotic mower trial is projected to save about $85,000 over 10 years,” Mayor Williamson said.
“We’ve got them deployed in the Civic Precinct at the moment and they are doing a great job of keeping the grass looking neat and tidy.”
He said council had also taken strong steps to streamline operations to maximise productivity while minimising fuel usage.
“Fuel usage has been a major challenge that we’ve had to address,” he said.
“Earlier this year, when comparing two similar operating weeks before and after the Iran conflict, our heavy vehicle fleet saw a $60,000 increase in fuel costs.
“That’s the equivalent of an extra $3 million a year and we simply cannot absorb impacts like that without changing the way we operate.
“In response, we’ve removed 13 underused light vehicles from the fleet, consolidated some of our outdoor teams and changed how we deploy our resources,” he said.
“Part of this is using more targeted maintenance approaches, such as concentrated ‘blitzes’ where multiple crews combine to overhaul high-visibility, priority areas, like the Sarina Field of Dreams and the Botanic Gardens.
“This lets us complete a job much quicker and results in a lot less travel to and from job sites.”
The Mayor said council had also trialled electric vehicles across its fleet, confirming that EVs were significantly cheaper to operate.
“Running costs are about a quarter of traditional vehicles, and we’re saving more than $3000 a year in fuel across the four vehicles in the trial, before even counting the reduced maintenance costs,” he said
Mayor Williamson said while EVs still had higher upfront costs, the long-term savings were compelling and expected to grow as prices continued to fall.
Council has also undertaken a comprehensive review of electricity tariffs across council facilities, which delivered more than $51,000 in savings over eight months since changes were implemented in August 2025.
“These are real, bankable savings,” Mayor Williamson said. “We’re making sure every facility is on the most cost-effective tariff and we’re now assessing further opportunities for the next financial year.”
He said council had also completed detailed energy efficiency studies at major operational sites, like the MECC, identifying $117,000 in potential annual savings across the first three facilities reviewed.
“These studies are about practical, cost‑effective improvements, like optimising HVAC systems, improving insulation, upgrading equipment and reducing energy losses,” he said.
Work to implement some of these improvements has already begun.
Jubilee Community Centre has been fitted with a more energy-efficient chiller and the MECC has been fitted with air curtains to reduce power consumption during peak times.
BeneVap vaporisation technology has also been implemented at council’s Hogan's Pocket Landfill site.
This technology condenses the liquid naturally produced by the landfill site to about an eighth of the original volume, which will ensure the site remains environmentally sustainable long into the future and also reduces costs of tanking the liquid offsite for disposal.
Mayor Williamson said all these initiatives were part of council’s commitment to responsible financial management.
“Our goal is simple – to keep downward pressure on future rate rises while continuing to deliver the services our community expects,” he said.
“We’re tackling cost pressures head‑on and the savings we’re achieving today will help protect our community from sharper increases tomorrow.”