Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is preparing to hand down his seventh Brisbane City Council budget on Wednesday.

"It [budget] always reminds me a bit like Christmas - people wait with high level of anticipation to see what's in the budget," Cr Quirk said.

At council chambers last Tuesday, opposition leader Peter Cumming asked Cr Quirk if residents would be hit with a rate rise above the 12 month to March 31 inflation rate of 1.8 per cent.

"Well Cr Cumming, we will all be waiting and watching," Cr Quirk said.

"It will be a budget that meets the financial needs of the city, a budget that also meets the needs of this city in terms of the facilities that we have and the responsibilities that we have across the city.

"So I'm not going to comment beyond that on what's in the budget, what's not in the budget."

When Fairfax Media asked Cr Cumming what he wished for in the 2017-2018 budget a fair rate rise was at the top of his list.

"With household budgets getting tighter every day, any rate rise must stay below wage growth, which the ABS puts at less than 2 per cent and the inflation rate which is 1.8 per cent," he said.

"Anything more will just make it even harder for Brisbane residents to put food on the table and pay their bills."

Other projects opposition hope to see in the 2017-2018 council budget are:

• Improved maintenance of sporting fields across the city
• Increased recycling by small business and amateur sporting clubs
• Increased reconstruction of suburban streets

Ahead of the June 14 budget all elected councillors could submit budget requests.

Cr Cumming said he believed the administration mainly or totally ignored the requests from non-administration councillors.

Council's first and only Greens councillor Jonathan Sri had a different agenda saying he wanted council to shift away from major road projects and invest more heavily in pedestrian safety, transport and bike lane improvements.

"We would like to see a new category of rates to specifically target investment properties that are left empty long-term without good reason," Cr Sri said.

He also called for the Brisbane Marketing budget to be slashed, infrastructure charges to be collected in full and an increase in spending to improve stormwater drainage.

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston prioritised her ward, Tennyson, and said she hoped the budget would bring pedestrian safety upgrades around active travel schools in Graceville, Corinda and Yeronga, new public toilets in parks in Graceville and drainage upgrades in Yeronga and Fairfield.

It was not just councillors thinking about their budget wish list, with many of Brisbane's peak bodies too thinking what they would like Cr Quirk to deliver.

Bicycle Queensland

Bicycle Queensland chief executive Ben Wilson called for the budget to deliver a realistic figure to be spent on cycling.

"Council have committed already to $100 million over their four-year term - but there are some major issues needing addressing that may well require additional expenditure," Mr Wilson said.

Bicycle Queensland's top three projects to be included in the 2017-2018 budget are:

• Woolloongabba separated bikeway - Stanley Street and Annerley Road connections that have been promised - to deliver a separated bikeway on Stanley Street and bike lanes on Annerley Road from Stanley Street to the Eleanor Schonell Bridge and University of Queensland.
• Fixing the Lower Dock Street bikeway connection through to the Goodwill Bridge
• Address a CBD bikeway to get some safe space for cycling into the city from the existing bikeways that successfully deliver riders to the city edges only

"Some road projects in Brisbane recently have squeezed the living-life out of our existing roads to maximise space for motoring but have made walking and cycling less safe," Mr Wilson said

"Brisbane is a beautiful city but we risk crowding our streets with cars at intersections and retail areas where council is adding lanes to increase capacity; can't have our cake and eat it too."

Property Council

A Property Council Queensland spokesman told Fairfax Media last year's budget saw a significant rates increase for CBD owners through an increase to the environment levy.

Property Council's 2017-2018 wish list for the budget includes:

• Brisbane Metro
• Kingsford Smith Drive
• Place making initiatives in the CBD and urban renewal areas

Q Shelters

A Q Shelter spokesman commended the council on its ongoing efforts in supporting community housing and homelessness services across Brisbane.

"Although we acknowledge there is a need for this particular budget to deliver significant transport and infrastructure outcomes for Brisbane residents, we encourage the Brisbane City Council to ensure a continued and expanded focus on supporting the housing and homelessness sector," the spokesman said.

Q Shelter called for funding and continued support in the following areas:

• Partial rates remissions for not-for-profits providing emergency or community housing
• $1 million of funding toward healthcare for those experiencing homelessness
• Housing Support Program that provides grants to not-for-profits
• Support for Homeless Connect
• Brisbane City Council Community Development Team, who Q Shelter works closely with on local outreach projects and sector collaboration

"We believe that Brisbane City Council's focus on supporting secure and affordable housing for all Brisbane residents underpins their own vision of a safe, friendly, smart and prosperous city," the spokesman said.

RACQ

???RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said they wanted to see adequate funding for road and transport upgrades.

"We want to future proof Brisbane and a key way to achieve this is for council to deliver on its commitment to work closely with the Queensland government to integrate the Brisbane Metro with Cross River Rail," Mr Turner said.

"We want upgrades to several level rail crossings including overpasses at Boundary Road at Coopers Plains, Cavendish Road at Coorparoo and South Pine Road at Alderley which currently result in serious traffic delays and pose safety risks. The state government would need to share funding for these upgrades 50/50.

"Several road upgrades are also needed to reduce congestion, including an upgrade of Old Cleveland Road, west of the Gateway Motorway and the Enoggera Road to Kelvin Grove Road corridor, as well as funding to fix bottlenecks along Stanley and Vulture Streets, Woolloongabba.

"A continued commitment to the Wynnum Road upgrade is a must."

Mr Turner said the RACQ congratulated the council on freezing parking fees at metres and its two off site parking stations.

"It is important for these costs to be frozen for at least another year," he said.

Rail Back on Track

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the group wanted to see more funding for public and active transport.

"Cut back on advertising expenditure and 'political' self promotion, and grandiose schemes such as fountains in the river. No more road tunnels,' Mr Dow said.

He said Rail Back on Track's wish list for the 2017-2018 council budget included:

• Brisbane Metro
• More funding for more bus lanes and bus priority
• Some funding for the removal of open level crossings, while believing this project should be jointly funded by the state government and the council.