It was $16.5 million more than the council expected to receive in the six months to December 2014, according to a quarterly financial report.

During the same period last financial year, developers had only spent $23.7 million. They eventually went on to spend $58.3 million by June 2014.

Disaster response and recovery costs blew out, with November's superstorm the main reason why $6.46 million was spent by December even though the total annual budget was only $4.13 million.

The report showed the council had spent 43.5 per per cent of its $1 billion capital programs budget by the midway point of the financial year.

The report also showed the council increased its total equity from $18.3 billion to $19.1 billion in the 12 months to December 2013.

Council finance chair Julian Simmonds said the report provided a "snapshot" of the council's yearly finances at the halfway mark, and that cases where the council had underspent did not mean they had made budget cuts.

"At this stage you're probably only seeing one side of the ledger. While we have more development applications coming in, and therefore getting more application fees, what you're yet to see are the added costs of assessing the large number of applications," he said.

However Opposition Leader Milton Dick said the lack of expenditure in several areas including parks and drainage was proof the council was "winding back projects".

"The revenue is increasing but the services are decreasing time and time again," he said.

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston said the extra development fees showed the LNP had an "addiction to development".

"This administration does not see a development it doesn't like," she said.

The figures also revealed that bus patronage was 32.7 million in the six months to December. The council said this was down about 3 million due to the impact of the G20.