Toowoomba Regional Council reveals fate of properties slated for auction over unpaid rates

After more than 50 properties were slated for auction due to unpaid rates, council has revealed how many ended up going under the hammer.

Toowoomba residents are paying their council rates on-time more than at any point in the past 15 years.

New data has revealed just 3.74 per cent of residents were in “rent arrears” with Toowoomba Regional Council as of December 31, 2022, the lowest level achieved since amalgamation in 2008.

Toowoomba Regional Council’s finance and business strategy general manager Ann-Marie Johnston said the “excellent result” was due to changes in how the organisation collected rates.

“During Covid we put in a number of new initiatives and arrangements to pay for our ratepayers, to make it easier for them to reach out if they were experiencing difficulties,” she told councillors at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting.

“Also our ratepayers (are able) to contact council without actually having to contact somebody (directly) to let us know they are having difficulties, so our teams could reach out in a respectful way.

“We’ve got many different ways to help our ratepayers, and that’s evident in what we’re seeing today.”

Ms Johnston also revealed more than 90 per cent of ratepayers were getting in ahead of time in order to take advantage of the 10 per cent discount offered for early payments.

It was something praised by councillor Nancy Sommerfield.

“Just in relation to the people paying their rates on time, it really reflects their respect for the discount we provide,” she said.

“I think that’s important when we talk about deliberations, that (we note) they do appreciate that (discount).”

Fate of properties slated for auction revealed

It comes as council starts a new process to resolve three properties with outstanding unpaid rates, which were passed at auction late last year.

The auction on November 18 of four properties was the culmination of a five-month effort from the TRC to recover unpaid rates from 53 landowners.

One parcel sold at the auction for an undisclosed amount.

“Council will commence a further legislative process that allows for sale by another auction or negotiation,” Ms Johnston’s report said.

Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff quizzed Ms Johnston about the next step, while also asking why three properties failed to hit the reserve price.

“I thought that was unusual in a market where there is such a demand for houses,” she said.

“My two questions are, we’re talking about legislative process, what does that look like?

“Also, what do we think about the reserves that weren’t met, is this a start of the cooling off period (for the market), what does this mean for us?”

Ms Johnston took the questions on notice.

Originally published as Toowoomba Regional Council reveals fate of properties slated for auction over unpaid rates