(Photo: Wikipedia)
June 23, 2021
Western Downs Regional Council residents will face an average 4.5 per cent rate increase in 2021-22 after Council handed down its Budget this week.
The latest rise means Dalby residents will pay an average of $1329 over the coming year, while rural property owners will pay $5382.
Mayor Paul McVeigh said the rise had been due in part to a forecast $1 million shortfall in rates revenue because of a decline in the resources industry, and partly to a 25-40 per cent increase in rural land valuations.
In return, the Council will deliver a $70 million capital works program; $45.5 million of this will be spent on roads, bridges and footpaths, and a further $19.8 million will be spent on parks, open spaces and cemeteries.
The WDRC will continue to offer residents a rainwater tank subsidy to help build water storage capacity in the region.
It will also lend its support to a range of festivals including the Dalby Delicious and DeLIGHTful Festival, Chinchilla Melon Festival, Jandowae Timbertown Festival, Miles Back to the Bush Festival, Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, and the Big Skies Festival.
Over the coming year, Western Downs will invest about $2.2 million into projects in the Chinchilla area; $5.4 million in Dalby; $10.5 million in Miles; $10 million in Tara; and $2.8 million in Wandoan.
The WDRC will also retain its status as one of the few councils in Queensland that is debt-free – a position it reached in 2019.
They have just reclassified Bunya Mountains properties that were “Residential – Other Locality” at a minimum $637 per year to “Rural Residential” at a minimum $988 per year. That’s definitely not a 4.5 per cent rate increase. It’s a minimum increase of 55%!! There’s no way in the world any of the current WDRC councillors are going to get re-elected.