Burnside Council has backed away from a 14 per cent rate rise — but residents still face the highest increase in the metro area

A suburban council has backed down from slugging its residents with a 14 per cent rate rise, but its ratepayers still face the highest increase in the metro area.

Burnside town hall.

Burnside Council has backed away from a staggering 14 per cent rate rise, instead opting for an increase by 9.8 per cent – still the highest of any metropolitan council.

The council at a special meeting on Tuesday night adopted its 2024/25 budget which had the revised rate rise figure, following outcomes of community consultation.

The council had consulted the community on a proposed 14 per cent rise, or a three-year recovery plan with a rate rise by 9.8 per cent next financial year.

The 14 per cent rise would have been followed by CPI rate increases over the next two financial years, while the 9.8 per cent rise would be followed by rises of 4-7 per cent.

Burnside Council chief executive Chris Cowley. Picture: Supplied

He said two thirds of respondents to a community survey were comfortable with at least a 9.8 per cent rate rise. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Burnside chief executive Chris Cowley said two thirds of the 1000 respondents to the community survey were comfortable with at least a 9.8 per cent rate rise, which equates to an extra $230 a year.

“However, they also asked us to review our service levels and asset renewal intervention levels to investigate savings opportunities,” Mr Cowley said.

In order to approve the budget with a 9.8 per cent rise, the council cut funding to more than $1m of projects, including $172,000 for stage 3 of its Bell Yett Reserve master plan.

The council also axed $28,820 for the creation of a reconciliation plan, $3300 for the garage sale trail, $190,000 for playgrounds renewal and $11,000 for new interpretative signs.

Mr Crowley previously told The Advertiser there were two key reasons the council had initially proposed a 14 per cent rise, which would have allowed it to deliver its 122 services to their current level and maintain its $890.9m asset base.

The council had four financial years of modest rises – twice at zero, then 3.5 and 6 per cent – which equated to about $3m passed on as savings to ratepayers, and a 6 per cent increase in the cost to maintain assets, also equating to $3m.