November 26, 2014
Almost one in 10 South Burnett ratepayers are now late with their rates payments, councillors heard today.
Delivering the monthly financial reports at Council’s November meeting, Finance portfolio chair Cr Keith Campbell said Council currently had 2.7 months of working cash on hand.
He noted that outstanding rates balances prior to the November quarterly rates notices being issued were 9.5 per cent.
This was slightly higher than the historical average of 8 per cent.
Cr Barry Green said he thought 2.7 months of working cash reserves was not enough.
He also reminded fellow Councillors than an arrears rate of 9.5 per cent was only a hairsbreadth away from 10 per cent.
“That means that 1 in 10 ratepayers are struggling with their rates bills right now,” Cr Green said.
“I think we should seriously look at doing away with quarterly rates and either go back to yearly or half-yearly notices with an extended discount period.
“The trouble with quarterly rates is that they’re always in your face – you get rid of one and there’s another one there a few weeks later.”
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said he heard what Cr Green was saying.
“To be fair, this issue has been flagged by the community and I agree with you,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
Cr Campbell said quarterly rates had been introduced with the best of intentions but had proven to be less than ideal in practice.
He urged anyone who was having difficulty paying their rates to contact Council and make a repayment arrangement.
“Once rates get to three years in arrears another level of action has to be taken,” he said.
Cr Campbell said there were 96 properties in that condition right now, and their total outstanding rates were close to $1 million.
He warned that in February next year Council would have no other option but to begin proceedings to sell those properties if their owners had taken no action to catch up on their rates arrears.
In February this year the Council put 24 properties, with a combined value of $2.8 million, on the market to recover $201,000 in unpaid rates.
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Later in the meeting, Councillors voted unanimously to extend the discount period on November’s quarterly rates notices from Friday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 16.
The decision was prompted by community feedback that most people preferred a date in the second week of December.
