Slug For North Burnett Ratepayers

July 7, 2025

North Burnett residents face a 25 per rise in their rates bills following the passing of the North Burnett Regional Council’s 2025-26 Budget on Monday.

The Budget includes:

• A 25 per cent increase on the minimum general rate for all rating categories

• For general rate assessments higher than the minimum general rate for that category, a 19 per cent increase to the cent-in-the-dollar formula

• All separate charges, including water and wastewater, and other levies will rise by 19 per cent; and

• The 5 per cent discount for payments before the due date has been scrapped.

A Council statement justified the increases by saying that in the past two years, the NBRC had experienced a:

• 30 per cent increase in insurance costs;

• 38 per cent increase in the cost to reseal roads;

• 33 per cent increase in the costs of mowing and slashing of parks, open spaces and road corridors;

• More than 35 per cent increase in the cost to source gravel locally;

• 5 per cent rise in the cost of software licences to support Council systems;

• 30 per cent increase in the cost of chemicals for water and sewerage treatment; and

• About a 10 per cent increase in bulk water costs.

“Council has now adopted 18 budgets since amalgamation on March 15, 2008, only three of which resulted in in operating surplus,” the statement continued.

“The last time Council recorded an operating surplus was in the 2016-2017 financial year, and this was due to the payment of flood recovery grants.

“With Council’s deficit increasing each year, this is not a situation that can continue unabated. Action needs to be taken to turn this situation around.

“While Council is estimated to record an operating deficit of $4.207 million in 2024-2025 (against an original forecast deficit of $8.604 million), this is only due to the unexpected receipt on June 25,  2025 of a 50 per cent  advance payment of the 2025-2026 Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grant.

“If this advance payment were removed from consideration, the forecast Operating Result for the 2024-2025 financial year would in fact be a deficit of $10.648 million, which is a worsening of Council’s originally forecast financial position for that year.

“Council’s proposed long-term financial outlook indicates it will take a number of years to return Council’s financial position to an operating surplus.

“Very significant rate increase would be required to return to an operating surplus sooner.”

The NBRC has urged residents to contact Council if they face an issue paying their rates.

“Where a ratepayer is experiencing financial hardship which can be demonstrated to Council’s satisfaction, if the ratepayer makes an early approach to Council before their rates are due, two different options can be considered to proactively assist the ratepayer to manage the payment of their rates over time – thus preventing the commencement of the rates recovery process,” the statement said.

“Council will also continue to support the Queensland Government Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme which provides a subsidy on some Council rates and charges to pensioners.  This can be up to an amount of $200 per year.”

The rates hike in the North Burnett follows the Toowoomba Regional Council last month adopting a general rate rise of 9.5 per cent for urban residential ratepayers.

Last month, Western Downs Regional Council handed down a 3.5 per cent rise for residential households and a 5 per cent rise for renewable energy, resource and intensive agricultural industries.

South Burnett Regional Council is due to hand down its 2025-26 Budget on July 16.

  Council