Rate confusion reveals incorrect Bundaberg council data in public report

The Bundaberg Regional Council has fired back at critics who claim the region’s rates are among the highest in Qld, saying the data it supplied to the Local Govt Dept was wrong.

Rates have long been an issue in the region, with the Bundaberg Canegrowers launching their own petition calling for reduced rates for farmers in 2020.

The Bundaberg Regional Council has fired back at criticism that its rates are among the highest in Queensland, claiming the figures being bandied about are incorrect.

The figures were posted online by the Bundaberg Regional Ratepayers Association, which claimed Woodgate had some of the highest average rates in the state.

The BRRA compared the rates of the Bundaberg region, the Gold Coast and Noosa using information provided by the Department of State Government, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.

This publicly accessible online information claims the net average rates and charges per annum for 2020-2021 revealed Woodgate had the second highest in the state, with charges of $4869.

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This amount was higher than the regional average of $3732 and second only to Airlie Beach at $5029.

The report states a “majority” of the information included “is sourced directly from individual council responses to the annual Consolidated Data Collection, completed each November”.

FARM FIGHT: Canegrowers Isis's Susan Bengtson, Bundaberg Canegrowers' Dean Cayley, Agforce's Tom Marland and farmer Joe Lyons launch a petition at Canegrowers' Bundaberg office. Rates have long been an issue in the region, with the Bundaberg Canegrowers launching their own petition calling for reduced rates for farmers in 2020.

“Each year the department collects information from local governments about the key services they provide and publishes it in the Queensland local government comparative information report.”

However, the Bundaberg Regional Council has hit back at the numbers, claiming the information is not correct and is a gross exaggeration of the true figures.

“The Woodgate figures being highlighted are overstated by about $1000,” a council spokesman said.

The council was unable to provide correct rate information and said comparing the Bundaberg region to areas such as Noosa was “not reasonable”.

A spokesman for the Local Government Department said councils supplied the information for the report, which was then published by the department.

“Councils are responsible for the accuracy of that information,” the spokesman said.

More than 40 people commented on the BRRA facebook post, many sharing their own frustrations.

Commenters on the BRRA facebook post shared their frustrations with rate prices.

“The cost for six months for me is well over $1500, but the value of my land dropped after the 2013 flood, I can't see the justification for the continuing rises.”

The Bundaberg resident claimed decades old guttering near her home wasn’t maintained.

“I don’t reside out of town, this is central to the city centre, across from a school,” she said.

“It’s stressful enough to cover the insurance but then on top of that covering these rates too is beyond ridiculous.”

The council said it has “an open-door approach to hardship” and anyone experiencing “issues with paying rates is encouraged to call our Customer Service Centre on 1300 883 699.”