funding · Scenic Rim Regional Council
Scenic Rim’s CoMSEQ bill reached $75,738 in 2025-26
The contribution included a $36,978 membership levy and $38,760 for the SEQ City Deal’s Resilient Rivers program.
Scenic Rim Regional Council contributed $75,738 to the Council of Mayors South East Queensland in 2025-26, with $36,978 paid as a membership levy and $38,760 directed to the SEQ City Deal’s Resilient Rivers program.
The annual contribution was below the council’s average of $77,282 across the preceding nine financial years, from 2015-16 to 2024-25.
The figures were provided in response to questions about Scenic Rim’s participation in CoMSEQ, a regional advocacy organisation established by South East Queensland councils in 2005. The company is limited by shares, with each member council holding one share, and the member mayors forming its board of directors.
Questions also examined CoMSEQ’s finances. Its 2024-25 annual report recorded retained earnings of about $12 million and a surplus of $4.8 million.
The council said those funds were being held for existing contractual obligations and approved regional initiatives. It said CoMSEQ, as a not-for-profit organisation, reinvests surplus funds in projects and initiatives approved by its board.
Scenic Rim has received more than $15 million in direct funding through CoMSEQ in recent years, the council said. That included $5.85 million through Resilient Rivers SEQ and funding for the $6.7 million Upper Warrill Creek Rehabilitation Project.
The response also pointed to CoMSEQ’s regional advocacy and programs involving infrastructure investment, regional planning, economic development, digital transformation, waste management, environmental resilience and Brisbane 2032 legacy opportunities.
Local decisions and statutory responsibilities remain with Scenic Rim Regional Council. Mayor Tom Sharp attends CoMSEQ board meetings when available, while Chief Executive Officer David Keenan attends council strategy workshops but is not a board member and cannot commit CoMSEQ resources.
Projects require endorsement by CoMSEQ’s board. Policies developed with council staff must also be ratified by the board, while all communications and other materials are managed through council’s records system.
Reference minutes
Scenic Rim Regional Council, Ordinary meeting of 26 August 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Scenic Rim’s 2025-26 CoMSEQ contribution was $75,738.
- The contribution comprised a $36,978 membership levy and a $38,760 Resilient Rivers SEQ contribution.
- Scenic Rim’s average annual contribution was $77,282 across the nine financial years from 2015-16 to 2024-25.
- CoMSEQ reported about $12 million in retained earnings and a $4.8 million surplus for 2024-25.
- The council said Scenic Rim had received more than $15 million in direct CoMSEQ funding in recent years.
- Mayor Tom Sharp attends CoMSEQ board meetings when available, while the chief executive officer is not a board member.
Why it matters
- The figures show what Scenic Rim contributes to its regional partnership and how CoMSEQ handles shared funding, projects and decision-making authority.