Gympie community reacts to council budget, rate rises

With the new Gympie council budget delivering the highest rate rise across the Wide Bay, opinions are divided about how it will affect the community. Have your say in our poll:

Gympie ratepayers have responded to a 4.77 per cent average increase to rates, after the council delivered its annual budget on Thursday.

The rise means more than three quarters of Gympie ratepayers will have an $200 increase to their next bill - the highest increase across the Wide Bay, after Fraser Coast and Bundaberg rates increased by 3.9 per cent.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the increase was a difficult decision.

“However, it is necessary so we can continue to fund the repairs to our road network and maintain our vital infrastructure which is needed to support the community and Gympie Regional Council,” he said.

Gympie Chamber of Commerce President Petra Van Beek said the rate rise was a “double edged sword” for businesses and residents alike.

Gympie Chamber of Commerce president Petra Van Beek said the chamber has called on Council to improve their customer service, saying “if council is going to raise our rates then we’d like to see a raise in their customer service and commitment to assisting our local business community.”

“While (the) Chamber understands that council, like all businesses, are facing increased costs in their operational activities, the rates increase makes things that much tougher for our local businesses who are also struggling with those same increased costs, so they’re now wearing them twice,” she said.

Additionally, she said the Chamber had heard ongoing feedback from the community regarding customer service within the council, and had called for improvements in customer service within the council’s planning and building departments.

“If council is going to raise our rates then we’d like to see a raise in their customer service and commitment to assisting our local business community,” she said.

Ratepayers were divided over the increase when the Gympie Times hit Mary Street to check the community’s pulse.

Russell Starkey said the rates rise was a “rip off”.

“Maybe that’s why there aren’t many shops open here in (Mary St) anymore, because they can’t afford it,” he said.

A Jones Hill man, who asked to remain anonymous, agreed and said the rate rise was “not right”, especially for pensioners.

Others however said the rise was expected, including Cooloola Cove woman Linda Meehan.

“No one is happy about rates going up but that’s how it is, I guess,” she said.

Widgee farmer Bart De Ruwe said it was important to remember increased rates were not just affecting the Gympie region, but he hoped the money would be put towards important parts of the region such as revitalising Mary St.

“It seems to be everywhere. I don’t think we can fight it,” he said.

“Everyone’s paying more, you just hope they’re doing something useful with it.

“I mean, Mary St is dead on the weekends, it’s not really growing.”

The council expects to raise more than $84m by way of its rates, levies and charges, which will account for more than three quarters of the $108.9m in forecast income.