August 4, 2021
The owners of 69 properties across the South Burnett will be given three months to pay their outstanding rates bills or risk having their properties sold at auction.
The property owners will be mailed a final warning to pay their rates this week by the South Burnett Regional Council.
The affected properties all have unpaid rates bills dating back at least three years.
Any outstanding rates and charges must be paid within three months unless the property owner negotiates a repayment arrangement with Council beforehand.
If rates remain unpaid – and no repayment arrangement is in place – Council will put the property up for auction within six months.
The decision to issue notices of intention to sell was passed unanimously at the Council’s July general meeting.
The vote followed debate behind closed doors to preserve the privacy of the affected property owners.
The Council normally holds property auctions annually to recover outstanding rates but deferred taking action last year due to the pandemic.
On Wednesday, Gympie Regional Council announced it would be taking the same action against 89 property owners in its region.
Gympie CEO Shane Gray told media the Council’s sale plans did not mean anyone had to lose their home.
“This process, in some cases, may allow ratepayers to apply for the early release of superannuation or a State Government mortgage relief loan,” Mr Gray said.
“Both of these financial arrangements are not available until the ratepayer is in threat of losing their home, so these ratepayers have not yet been able to access this assistance.”
