TRC cops flak over $160k bill

Motel co-owner slams the council

THE co-owner of a Toowoomba motel has lashed the council after it slugged her with a $160,000 infrastructure charge, calling it “morally and ethically wrong”.

Chris Fuller, who is a partowner in the freehold on the Northpoint Motel in Harlaxton, bought the property from the developer in late 2017.

Mrs Fuller, who is also an accommodation broker, said she completed a full investigation on the property that failed to produce any outstanding fees or issues.

“We did a search and nothing came up. When we did ours, I thought that it was all clear,” she said.

But Mrs Fuller received a rude shock in May this year when the council notified her of a $162,000 infrastructure charges bill attached to the property, which needed to be paid immediately.

“Council would not wipe the charges, they’ll only let us pay them over a six-year period (after appealing),” she said.

The charge has since increased thanks to indexation to more than $165,000.

It comes amid a reform from within the council to pro-actively recover derelict infrastructure charges.

The TRC’s finance and business group reported last year the council was missing $10 million in overdue infrastructure charges, contributing to a 26 per cent drop in capital revenue in the previous budget.

Mrs Fuller said she believed she was one of several secondhand property owners to be hit hard by the council.

She said the matter should have been resolved with the original developer within 12 months after the property was built in September 2016.

“I want to show them up for what they’ve done, and ask whether they should compensate us for what has happened,” Mrs Fuller said.

“It’s wrong to do this, it’s ethically and morally wrong.

“I’m taking on council because this needs to be changed – changes to the act needs to be made to avoid this.

“They’re chasing many landowners who have had no idea these fees have not been paid. Many second landowners have been hit, unfairly.”

Without commenting on the specific case, TRC planning chair Cr Chris Tait said the council was within its legal rights to chase charges from the liable landholder.

“Under the provisions of the Planning Act 2016, infrastructure charges associated with a development approval are attached to a land parcel in the same way a DA attaches to the land,” he said.

Other secondary landholders hit can contact Mrs Fuller at chrisfullermss@icloud.com.