BUDGET: Rates overhaul benefits canal estates

Under the move, 21 canal and lake estate categories will be abolished and Raby Bay, Aquatic Paradise and Sovereign Waters will pay canal charges separate to the differential rating system.

Eleven Raby Bay categories, seven Aquatic Waters categories and three Sovereign Waters categories will be axed.

Mayor Karen Williams said the canal charge would be reinstated, allowing Raby Bay, Sovereign Waters and Aquatic Paradise ratepayers to be rated under one of the mainland categories.

The charge for Sovereign Waters will be $650. A marine berth at Aquatic Paradise will cost $1400 a year and the special charge per lot $2048.

A community title scheme lot at Raby Bay will pay $1900 a year and it will be $1100 for non-community title lots.

"The move will be fairer because under the previous categories, ratepayers in the canal estates on higher valuations were paying more for the canal charges than others on lower valuations," Cr Williams said.

"The council will still make a 30 per cent contribution to the canal charge this year and we are still reviewing the methodology of how we will contribute to the revetment walls in the future."

Raby Bay resident George Harris said abolishing the rating categories was the first step in rates reform and making it fairer for owner-occupied residential canal estates.

"All of Redland properties of the same value, regardless of where they are, should pay the same general rates," Mr Harris said. "Canal and waterfront estates receive high state government valuations and are rated accordingly.

"Our penalty for living on a canal estate is already built in to the site valuation."

Mr Harris said there was room for further restructuring of the rating categories and he hoped next year's budget would include drawing down on a $4 million canal reserve for Raby Bay, instead of adding to it with increased canal charges.

Council will pay $3.19 million on capital expenditure for revetment walls in the 2013-14 financial year.