First look at Gympie council price rises: tips, pools, dog registrations
Gympie ratepayers can expect more pain in their wallets if the council endorses a raft of price rises for fees and charges across the region, with some facilities and services to cost an extra 10 per cent.
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New fee structures to be voted on by Gympie Regional Council will increase the price of going to the pool and the rubbish tip, and of owning a dog.
Councillors were asked at a recent general meeting to adopt the proposed increases, which included a 10 per cent rise on some fees and charges, but they decided in the end to hold off so councillors could further workshop the numbers.
Under the proposed changes a normal car load of rubbish would cost $11 to dump at the rubbish tip, up from $10.
The next size up, medium or ute-sized, would rise from $35 to $40.
A trailer load of rubbish (up to 500kg) would cost residents $80, up from $70, while dumping more than that would come with a $300 price tag, up from $270.
Domestic green waste weighing less than 100kg will remain free to dump, while loads above that will cost 10 per cent more to get rid off, climbing from $50 to $55.
There will be a small rise in the cost of kerbside collection of commercial waste and recyclables.
A 240L recycle bin will now cost $6.70 per lift, up from $6.20, and a 240L commercial waste bin will now be slugged with a $14.70 cost, up from $14.20.
The price of dog registration for an entire animal will rise to $174, up from $168, while pensioners will still pay half that ($87, up from $84).
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Registering a desexed dog will cost $52 instead of $50, and for a desexed and microchipped dog the price for a registration or renewal will rise from $15 to $20.
Taking a dip at the region’s community pools will also cost more.
Entry at any of the council owned pools will cost $4 per adult instead of $3.80, and the price for children will climb slightly from $3.10 to $3.20.
The full family price will increase from $13 to $13.50.
Standard entry at the Gympie Aquatic Centre will increase from $6.30 to $6.50, while children aged 2-15 will cost $4.50 instead of $4.30.
The price of family entry will increase from $18.80 to $19.50 and a day on the pool’s water slide will cost $7.30, up from $7.
The staff report tabled with the proposed new charges said the council was required to set the fees at a level that allowed for cost recovery of the services provided.
Councillor Allona Lahn instead asked for the adoption of the new fees to be delayed for further consultation.
Ms Lahn said she was concerned councillors had not been given a proper workshop on the proposed price rises.
“There’s a few of us around the room that have a lot of questions to do with some of the fees and charges,” she said.
Jess Milne disputed this, saying councillors had been given “ample time” to consider the proposed changes.
She said the council could adopt these changes now to keep the budget process moving, and had the power to revisit fees which needed tweaking at any time.
Mick Curran supported the delay saying councillors should get it right rather than being “accused of backflips” if it decided to change any fees later.
Ms Lahn’s motion to delay a decision was accepted seven votes to one, with Ms Milne the only dissenting voice.
Mayor Glen Hartwig was not present at the meeting.
The new fees are expected to go into effect from July 1, 2025.
The council must adopt its 2025 budget by no later than August 1.
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