Brisbane City Council has been forced to prioritise spending on the massive flood recovery effort, with a number of projects hitting the pause button.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner admitted without stopping some projects, such some green bridge developments, rates would be increased significantly in next week’s budget.

He said there was immense pressure on the council budget with pandemic and the cost of the flood recovery, admitting they hadn’t seen anything like it in decades.

On top of that, he said, was the other pressures such as soaring construction costs.

“One of the most important things we have done is push pause on a number of projects so we can [keep the pressure down],” he told Scott Emerson.

“If we went along as if nothing had changed … and the path we were on pre-flood, the impact or pressure on rates would have been higher.”

He says as “soon as they can afford to do so” they will kickstart those projects.

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