What your rates will be and how to get a discount

BUDGET papers reveal a swathe of rebate, relief and hardship support on rates.

The average general rate for properties will be just under $1600. About 45 per cent of properties where a home is on a 750sq m lot or less will pay a minimum $1036.

Given COVID-19, council is offering a $26.9 million community/business support package including $9m for principal place of residence rebates.

“This $9.1m package means all principal place of residence ratepayers will receive a rebate of $64 on their annual rates, (to benefit 137,800 properties.”

Non-owner-occupier ratepayers can access a $600,000 hardship payment plan.

No price increase from the city on water and sewerage charges. “This $3.6m initiative means 248,970 residential water customers, 16,300 non-residential sewer customers will benefit.”

Council cautions “state charges for water consumption are out of council control”, and the bulk of water delivered to the city could see bill increases.

The city’s water and sewerage hardship program where $2.15m is available for residential and business customers experiencing financial difficulties in paying their water and sewerage bills includes:

• Penalties on overdue rates cut from 8.53 to 3 per cent.

• Giving eligible customers help to identify and repair minor leaks and install water saving devices.

• Identified commercial customers will have smart meters installed at no cost.

Community organisations will benefit from $183,165 in rent relief on community facility leases for 12 months, helping 320 not-for-profits. Twelve months rent relief will be granted to liquor licence holders at 41 eligible surf and sports clubs, in a $248,987 package.

Community lease relief will go to 16 non-profit sport organisations for six months. Hire fees for sport facilities which will benefit 128 organisations will be waived, in a support package worth $228,000.

Hire fees at community centres will be waived for a month when reopened, benefiting 780 groups in a $100,000 initiative.

Not-for-profit groups can access a $1.95m package including one-off hardship grants for organisations supporting vulnerable residents, with funding for approximately 250 organisations.

In a move which will be welcomed by traders, council announced an end of special rates for precincts and deferral of new tourism funding model.

“In a package valued at $2.6m, 50 per cent of funding of Major Events Gold Coast will be deferred for 12 months, benefiting 26,000 properties paying the Tourism Economic Diversification Differential rate,” the budget papers said.

“Rates payable for three tourism precinct alliances – Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Southern Gold Coast and Southport CBD – will not be levied in 20/21. 11,500 properties had been paying this.”

Fees for roadside dining for 329 small businesses across the city will be waived for 12 months, in a package valued at $1.28m.