May 17, 2017
South Burnett community groups who want rebates on Council fees will be forced to stump up extra cash from July 1.
Full rebates on Council fees for building new infrastructure are slated to be axed from July 1, when a new 50 per cent subsidy rate will be put in place.
The effect of the change was discussed at the South Burnett Regional Council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, when the Murgon Men’s Shed applied for a 100 per cent waiver of a $1500 Building Application Fee they’d paid to construct an industrial shed.
Councillors agreed to waive the charge, less a $168 document lodgement fee, in accordance with normal policy.
The decision means the group will receive a $1332 refund.
However, Cr Terry Fleischfresser warned that from July 1 when the Council’s new Community Grants Policy comes into effect, community groups can expect less generous treatment.
Corporate Services General Manager Peter O’May told the meeting Council had a long-standing policy of rebating application fees – less a document lodgement fee – to not-for-profit community groups who wanted to build infrastructure.
This was because Council had long believed the creation of new facilities benefitted the community overall.
But because Council officers did not have the power to waive fees themselves, any request to do so had to come before a full Council meeting for a decision.
Mr O’May noted that when the 2017-18 Budget is introduced next month, the Council’s Schedule Of Fees And Charges could have two classes: standard charges, and discounted charges that applied to non-profit community groups.
This change would allow Council officers to apply the relevant charge without any need to bring the matter to a Council meeting.
Cr Fleischfresser said the new system would allow community groups to obtain a 50 per cent discount, but no higher.
The effect of this would be to reduce the rebate on a $1500 application fee – less document lodgement charges – from $1332 to $666.
“This Council has a responsibility to stop being a benevolent society,” Cr Fleischfresser said.
“I don’t think any ratepayers would criticise us for wanting to ensure we got the best value for their money.”
Cr Spud Jones said he understood why the current policy existed, but agreed Council needed to reign in expenses.
“Most community groups who want to build or expand their infrastructure get the funds to do it through grants,” Cr Jones said.
“In future, they’ll need to add these extra costs to their grant applications.”
Cr Kathy Duff said she was also in general agreement with the new approach, but recognised sometimes there were special circumstances where particular groups needed extra help.
She suggested that in those cases, Councillors might be able to use their Discretionary Funds to assist.
Councillors agreed.
Two weeks ago, South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell told southburnett.com.au the South Burnett Regional Council currently gave away an average $1.3 million each year to community groups.
Approximately $300,000 of this was given by way of cash and in-kind grants, and a further $1 million through rate subsidies, remissions and other “below the line” rebates.
This support for community organisations amounted to around 2.1 per cent of the Council’s annual budget.
- Related article: Council Consolidates Grants Programs
