Big household rates increases as Townsville City Council delivers budget

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5 hours ago

Some North Queensland home owners are facing 20 per cent rate rises as regional councils increase rates in line with skyrocketing land valuations.
The troubled Townsville City Council capped owner-occupier rate increases at 20 per cent in its 2025-26 budget delivered on Wednesday morning.
The council has had a tumultuous year, with a mayor suspended and an auditor finding the local government overpaid executives.
Townsville City Council collects rates from 48,000 owner occupiers and 2,400 of those households will pay the maximum 20 per cent rate increase.
Another 5,900 owner-occupiers will see an increase of 10-to-20 per cent.
The median value for residential land in Townsville increased by 24 per cent to $192,500 this year after assessments by the Queensland Valuer General.
The council reduced its rate-in-the-dollar charge to offset land value increases, as both methods are used to determine rates.
Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney described the $928.2 million budget as fair and equitable.
"We couldn't let the community see what would be a 22 per cent rate rise across a lot of properties," she said.
Of the 48,000 owner-occupied households, 7,000 will have their rates increases by between 4 per cent and 10 per cent, and for 17,000 there will be rate rises from zero to 4 per cent.
About 15,000 Townsville ratepayers will get a reduction and about 200 will see no change.
Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said the additional costs to households would be, on average, about $4.60 per week, or $240 a year.
For landlords, minimum rates will increase by 10 per cent but, for multi-unit dwellings, minimum rates will increase by 30 per cent.
The council will also raise minimum commercial rates by 54 per cent and the minimum heavy industry rates by 50 per cent.
It also announced that it would charge short-stay accommodation providers commercial rates if they operate for more than 30 days a year.
Hotels and serviced apartments offering rooms on short-stay websites will now be charged commercial rates at a minimum of $2,300.
Cr Greaney said the council would prioritise investment in roads, footpaths, community spaces, waste, water and infrastructure maintenance in the year ahead.
She added the council expected its budget to be in surplus next financial year.
"We're on track to reduce council's deficit by $12.7 million, with the council expected to achieve a budget surplus one year earlier than previous forecasts," she said.
The council announced a raft of policy changes, including a new three-year capital plan to keep major projects on track.