November 27, 2024
Fears that ratepayers with their own household sewerage treatment plants would have to pay a new annual fee have been quashed by the South Burnett Regional Council.
At its November meeting, councillors voted unanimously to ensure that residential properties with onsite sewerage treatment plants would not be charged a fee from Council.
A kerfuffle rose after a bulk mailout from within Council stated that new fees for premises with Household Sewerage Treatment Plants (HSTP) and / or Backflow Prevention Devices installed would be issued.
The letter explained the annual fees – ranging from $30 to $60 – were to cover the cost of Council maintaining up-to-date registers of these installations, something required under State legislation.
A storm erupted on social media after residents started receiving the letter, forcing Mayor Kathy Duff to issue reassurances and Council CEO Mark Pitt to issue a statement to the media.
“These property owners already pay a fee to the plumbers to have their plants serviced quarterly, six monthly or annually depending on their device and they should not have to pay another fee on top of that to Council. The fees paid to plumbers are not passed on to Council,” Mayor Duff said.
She said Council would now work closely with plumbers to send their service records to Council to ensure the devices were being serviced as they should be and to ensure that Council’s database was kept up to date.
However, commercial users would be charged a fee for their devices to ensure that Council’s records were updated.
Commercial users with RPZ valves would have an annual fee to pay as well as an application fee for any new Backflow Prevention Devices.
The requirement for councils to maintain registers of backflow prevention devices and on-site sewerage treatment plants is designed to safeguard public health and the environment.
By ensuring compliance and regular maintenance of these systems, Councils can reduce risks associated with water contamination and wastewater management.
“I am pleased to see that this matter has been rectified and I will be working closely with the Chief Executive Officer to get the message out to ensure that all of the residents who received the letters are informed that they will not be charged a fee from Council if they have an on-site sewerage treatment plant,” Mayor Duff said.
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At the same meeting, councillors voted to update the SBRC’s Media Relations policy in a bid to stop a similar bulk mailout situation happening.
The new clause reads:
“All media releases, public notices and bulk mailouts will be managed and distributed through Executive Services with content provided by the relevant branch if requested.”
Mayor Duff said at the moment, bulk mailouts could be sent out at an officer level but the update would mean they would now have to be approved by the CEO.
She said the bulk mailout about the plumbing devices – which she believed should have come before Council for discussion before the letter was sent out – had created a situation where the CEO had to release a statement to the media, and she had managed many Facebook posts and contacts from ratepayers.
The updated Media Relations policy was passed unanimously.
- Related article: Council Letter Stuns Residents
