RESIDENTIAL rates will rise by 3.99 per cent, significantly more than last year, as Redland City Council struggles with hefty state government bulk water and waste management cost increases.
This rise – higher than last year’s 2.73 per cent – excludes the bulk water charges and waste management costs.
Mayor Karen Williams said the $289 million “bread and butter budget” saw councillors trying to strike a balance between keeping rates rises to a minimum and meeting resident’s expectations against a backdrop of state increases.
“The state’s water rise accounts for 72 cents a week or nearly $37.40 a year based on average 400 kilolitre consumption,” Cr Williams said.
“This is something over which council has no control, along with the higher cost of managing the city’s waste and recycling.”
Cr Williams said council had been picking up the tab for costs that are state responsibility.
“Through this budget we are making representation on our residents behalf to correct that imbalance.
“Local government across the country is responsible for 25 per cent of the nation’s infrastructure but receives only 3 per cent of all taxes raised.”
Changed rating categories are introduced as part of a new funding system for the city’s canal revetment walls.
Cr Williams said council would pay for dredging and maintenance at Raby Bay, Aquatic Paradise and Sovereign Waters estates and 10 per cent of the cost of work on Raby Bay revetment walls.
Raby Bay canal property owners would pay their portion of revetment walls repairs through new differential rates, rather than a special charge.
“With council collecting the funds and managing the repairs there will be a visible reserve that is used to fix revetment walls, providing residents with assurances that revetment walls will be fixed should problems arise,” Cr Williams said.
“(Canal property owners) did not want to be left to rely on individual property owners to fix revetment walls or for property owners to be left with large individual bills for a revetment wall failure on their property.”
Cr Williams said water retail charges were maintained at the same rate as 2015 to offset bulk water price rises.
The budget allows for a projected operating deficit of about $2.35 million – an improvement on last year.
