May 15, 2019
The cost of doing business with the South Burnett Regional Council will rise an average 2 per cent from July 1.
Councillors voted unanimously to accept next year’s Fees and Charges Schedule at Wednesday’s monthly meeting.
Most charges in the new schedule will rise close to CPI.
But some will stay the same as last year while others such as Plumbing Fees have been excluded for the moment so Council officers can properly assess the impact of recent changes to the Plumbing and Drainage Act.
The proposed new plumbing fees will be presented at the June Council meeting.
The Council brings down a new fees and charges schedule each year in advance of its Budget so pricing changes can be made to Council’s IT systems before July 1.
The schedule governs everything from how much the Council charges for photocopies to entry costs at the region’s swimming pools.
By law, Councils are encouraged to levy fees for their services on a cost-recovery model which should not be higher than the Council’s out-of-pocket cost to provide a service.
The latest rise mirrors 2 per cent increases in 2017 and 2018, and follows 2.5 per cent rises in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Finance portfolio chair Cr Ros Heit said every effort had been made to keep this year’s rises in line with CPI.
The South Burnett Regional Council will hand down its 2019-20 Budget at a special meeting on Monday, June 24.
The new 2019-20 Register Of Fees And Charges will be available as a PDF download from the Council’s website on July 1.
