RSPCA request for reduction in infrastructure charges sparks Toowoomba Regional Council spat at committee meeting

Councillors entered a heated debate over rules around reducing charges for not-for-profit organisations, amid a request from the RSPCA in relation to its new Wellcamp shelter.

RSPCA Toowoomba shelter new facility in Wellcamp Business Park, Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A request from the RSPCA over infrastructure charges related to its new animal centre at Wellcamp has sparked a spat within the Toowoomba Regional Council.

Councillors narrowly voted to defer about $56,000 in charges on the organisation’s $147,000 bill, which was incurred from the approval and construction of its new shelter along Airport Dr near the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport.

The RSPCA wrote to the council requesting a full or partial waiver, citing its not-for-profit status, lack of funding and revenue due to the COVID-19 shutdown and its existing agreement with the TRC to take on impounded stray animals.

The site had certain commercial elements to it, including dog kennels and a cattery, which council planner Sophie Spencer calculated was worth about $12,000 in infrastructure charges based on stormwater and land use.

Ms Spencer had recommended the request be rejected since there was no council policy that applied to it, but acknowledged the councillors had regularly given reductions or deferrals of charges for not-for-profits.

After Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald proposed a 50 per cent deferral on the non-commercial elements of the site, which would leave about $79,000 left, his motion was met with opposition for two totally different reasons.

Cr James O’Shea said the council needed to be consistent and defer the full amount based on its previous decisions with not-for-profits, while Cr Bill Cahill argued it should agree with Ms Spencer and reject the request, believing there was too much commercial interest.

“This is a large national organisation — how would other boarding kennel owners feel about giving them a free kick?” he asked the room.

The vote on Cr McDonald’s motion was split 5-5, with chair Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan casting the tie-breaker in favour of it.

Cr Carol Taylor was absent from the room, since she declared she had a potential conflict of interest.

Originally published as RSPCA request for reduction in infrastructure charges sparks Toowoomba Regional Council spat at committee meeting