{"id":237126,"date":"2019-06-05T20:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T10:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=237126"},"modified":"2020-07-20T08:32:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T22:32:47","slug":"council-rates-tipped-to-rise-1-9pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/06\/05\/council-rates-tipped-to-rise-1-9pc\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Rates Tipped To Rise 1.9pc"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Regional Council is expected to hand down an average 1.9 per cent rate rise this year, but individual rises could be larger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 5, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council is expected to introduce an average 1.9 per cent rate rise when it hands down its Budget on June 24.<\/p>\n

The rise will be the smallest overall rate increase since Council was formed in 2008 however, the amount households will actually pay will vary depending on property valuations.<\/p>\n

Ratepayers who have received large increases in their land valuations this year could expect to face bigger bills.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, a report by Valuer-General Neil Bray said demand for cattle grazing and crop farming land in the South Burnett had led to a rise in rural valuations, in total by 29 per cent.<\/p>\n

In last year’s Budget, most ratepayers faced an average 2.5 per cent rise when the former Road Levy was merged into the general rate.<\/p>\n

However, some rural residents publicly complained they had experienced rises of up to 20 per cent – or even higher – due to the change.<\/p>\n

Protest meetings followed as many of the properties facing the largest rises were in drought.<\/p>\n

In August, Council relented and all ratepayers were given a six-week extension to the discount period to partially soften the blow of the rises.<\/p>\n

Mayor Keith Campbell said on Tuesday that while the 2019-20 Budget had yet to be adopted by Council, he believed it would be passed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The effect would be that Council’s total rates revenue would rise by 1.9 per cent in 2019-20 to offset CPI increases.<\/p>\n

The Mayor forecast there would also be increases to water, wastewater and waste collection fees.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Council committed a record level of funding to roads.<\/p>\n

Mayor Campbell said he expected this funding would be maintained over the coming year.<\/p>\n

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