Plan doesn’t rate
IN THE lead-up to the biggest ever general rate increase for Western Downs residents, a proposal for an up to 60 per cent discount for those who paid their bill on time has been shot down.
Western Downs Regional Council announced in June that general rates would rise to 4.5 per cent – up from 2.5 per in 2020 – following a predicted $1m revenue shortfall due to a decline in the resource industry.
Before the rates increase was approved, councillors George Moore and Carolyn Tillman threw their weight behind an amendment to provide ratepayers with a 10 per cent discount across six rate categories.
Their recommendations ended up falling on deaf ears at a special council meeting, with the remaining councillors voting to keep the discount at 5 per cent across the board.
Ratepayers can apply for the discount on any or all of general rates, water charges, recycled water charges, sewerage charges, the environmental waste levy, and waste/ recycling/garbage/collection/ disposal/rural/commercial and industrial waste charges.
The discount only applies to bills paid on time (within 30 days of the notice) including relevant rates, charges, and interest.
Councillors moved unanimously to allow special consideration to pensioners and mining or quarrying workers.
The decision resulted in pensioners being eligible to reduce their bill by $200 a year.
Those who fall under the mining or quarrying rate category are eligible for a rebate on special rate charges for road maintenance if the works were carried out during a dormant period.
Although the council stipulated a maximum amount pensioners were eligible for, miners received no such limitation – apart from the deal expiring after 2022.
Minimal rates breakdown annually for 2021-2022
The starting point for rates for residents who own a property on less than 0.4ha range from $637 to $903 depending on locality, with Dalby and Chinchilla being the most expensive places to live.
Wind farms will pay from $184,500 to $246,000 depending on the MW capacity under the new rates structure, and solar farms peaked at $695,231 at an 1100MW facility.
Petroleum and gas leases will pay between $45,301 and $400,522.
Those who will pay the most are workforce accommodation providers with charges of $130,224 for a 200person facility and $911,564 for a 1000-person facility.