RATES and the Community Infrastructure Charge in the Scenic Rim will rise by an average 2.76%.
The first Budget for the newly elected mayor and councillors was adopted during a special meeting in Beaudesert on Friday, with Mayor Tom Sharp saying it represented the lowest rise in rates for many years.
While rate increases, based on the minimum land values in the residential categories, range from 0.25% to 1.3%, the Community Infrastructure Charge has increased by 9.1% to $600.
There is an anomaly in the residential categories in the Rural Principal Place of Residence where the rate has decreased by 0.15% on properties on the minimum land value.
Rate on Commercial properties on the minimum land value will increase by 0.82%.
The ‘user pays’ charges, which will continue to appear on rates notices, will again show a marked increase.
On properties where there is a garbage pick up service – the cost of the dual domestic bin collection will increase by 9% to $537.
Those properties not serviced by garbage collection will be levied a waste charge which has been increased by 9.34% to $199.
“For most residential property owners in the Scenic Rim, the rates increases will be below the current CPI [cost of living increase] of 3.4%,” said Mayor Sharp in tabling his first Budget.
New roadworks are the big ticket items in the $37 million capital Budget, which includes $7 million in Federal and State government grants.
The next stage of the Kerry Road upgrade outside Beaudesert is the major road project again this financial year with an allocation of $8.3 million, which takes in a $5 million grant from the Federal Government.
Road reseals ($5.5 million), improvements to driver safety on Beechmont Road ($2.16 million) and improvements to bridges ($1.15 million) complete the major capital roadworks projects.
Another big ticket item in the Budget is the allocation of $4.2 million for the first stage of the Gallery Walk carpark on Tamborine Mountain.
“As an organisation, Council will focus on achieving higher levels of productivity and creating an environment of continuous improvement,” Mayor Sharp said.
And he announced the appointment of a Continuous Improvement Officer to oversight the commitment to focus “on productivity and efficiency gains”.
• Full details of the 2024-2025 Scenic Rim Regional Council in your Fassifern Guardian on Wednesday.