July 14, 2022
Ratepayers in Goomeri, Kilkivan, Widgee and Woolooga will face higher rates bills in the coming year after Gympie Regional Council handed down its 2022-23 Budget on Thursday.
Residential ratepayers will face an average 4.77 per cent increase in their bills, with more than 21,000 landowners facing a rise of $100 to $200 a year, and a further 3800 a rise of between $200 and $1000.
Barely 830 ratepayers will see any reduction in their rates.
The Council will also increase the pensioner rebate by $20 to $180 – the first rise in almost a decade – but it will scrap the current 5 per cent discount for early rates payments.
Water access, sewerage and waste charges will rise by 3.5 per cent, and water consumption charges will increase by 7.5 per cent.
The increases in rates, charges and levies will generate more than $84 million of the Council’s anticipated $108.9 million income in 2022-23.
In exchange, Council will spend $108.8 million, which will include $39.1 million in staff costs, $42.6 million on materials and services, and $25.9 million in depreciation.
Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the Budget was free of “vanity projects” and was continuing a multi-year program to return the Council to solvency, but councillors did not consider the increase lightly.
“During difficult times increasing fees and charges is never a popular or easy decision,” Mayor Hartwig said.
“However, it is necessary so we can continue to fund the repairs to our road network and maintain our vital infrastructure.”
The Mayor also said the increased costs of fuel, raw materials and electricity “combined with three floods in five months, rising land valuations and the need to repair our financial position” meant the council had to increase rates and the cost of services.
Cr Bob Fredman said he regretted the Budget allocated very little towards the upgrade or improvement of rural roads this year.
Cr Bruce Devereaux said he believed rates and charges should have been set slightly higher to improve the Council’s financial sustainability, and Cr Dolly Jensen said she had issues with some of the Council’s planned expenditure, such as $500,000 worth of office renovations.
Cr Warren Polley expressed concern that some of the Council’s long-term forecasts about population growth were based on outdated data, and he was worried this might cause issues in future unless these projections were revised.
Mayor Hartwig underlined the increases had been set below the current level of inflation, and he believed the Budget was “a good outcome” in the circumstances.
His opinion was shared by fellow Councillors, who approved the Budget 7/1, with only Cr Jensen opposed (Cr Hilary Smerdon was unable to attend the Budget meeting).
