Rate debts near $30m
CITY hall is owed nearly $30 million in unpaid charges as more than 13,000 people struggle to make ends meet.
Figures obtained by the Bulletin show the city is taking recovery action against 9834 accounts valued at $23.2 million, with payment plans also in place for a further 3973 people whose rates are in arrears.
These payment plans have a value of $5.4 million
A further $17.9 million is owed to the council on 12,448 water charge accounts, with another 5369 involved in payment schemes to reclaim $5.2 million.
A council spokeswoman confirmed the figures but said it was “expected that many of the accounts captured in the water system will also be hav- ing outstanding rates and viceversa.”
Five properties, including a waterfront unit overlooking the Broadwater, have been put up for sale by the council to reclaim the funds.
These properties are land on John Lund Drive, Hope Island; a unit on Marine Pde, Biggera Waters; a unit on Queen St, Southport; a small house in Raymond Ave, Bundall; and a house in Fullerton St, Benowa.
These properties will go to auction on August 6.
City finance boss William Owen-Jones said the sell-off of homes was a “last resort”. “The city continues to work with ratepayers who are in arrears and the last resort is the sale of property,” he said.
“However, over the past few years almost all properties which have got to this point have had their arrears paid off before reaching sale.
“Overall, a handful of properties have been sold since 2012 because it takes more than three years to reach this point.”
It is a big turnaround from last year when, at one point, the council was owed about $70 million.
The reduction in owed rates has previously been attributed to the council’s use of debt collectors.
The council voted last year to sell 406 properties which were in arrears but budget documents show 237 arrears have since been paid in full.