June 25, 2021
Somerset Regional Council’s 2021-22 Budget – handed down recently – will mean a 1.5 per cent rise for most ratepayers.
Mayor Graeme Lehmann said the council had settled on the rate increase for owner-occupiers based on the minimum general rate, with reductions in the rate as a percentage of land valuations across all but five rating categories.
He said the council had worked hard to improve the 2021-22 Budget for the past 12 months.
“We knew we couldn’t sustain operating losses like we incurred in 2020 in the long term, and we’ve been working to cut our costs and get new revenue at every council meeting,” he said.
“This Budget is an accumulation of that hard work.”
Somerset Council’s Budget will deliver a $100,000 deficit this year, but Mayor Lehmann said Councillors were comfortable with that amount.
Somerset ratepayers can also expect to pay more for the Environmental Pest levy during 2021-22, which will rise from $20 to $41.50 per annum.
The levy is used by Council to fight environmental and agricultural pests such as lantana.
Somerset will spend $41 million on a range of infrastructure and other capital works projects.
These include upgrades of Lower Minden Road, Esk-Crows Nest Road and the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
The Council will also begin work on developing cycling trails at Mount Glenrock near Esk, and recycled water pipelines at Lowood and Fernvale.
Other projects will be aimed at improving road safety and increasing Council productivity.
Somerset’s 1.5 per cent increase follows similar announcements by Toowoomba (2.5 per cent) and Western Downs Regional Councils (4.5 per cent).
Somerset’s full budget can be found on the Council’s website
