Council is confronting a ratepayer rebellion as some rates increase by more than 15 per cent

Some Gold Coast residents have received a nasty surprise in their rates notices, after being promised a 2.7 per cent increase earlier this year. FULL DETAILS

Some residents are filthy after receiving rate bills showing increases of more than 15 per cent, after the City promised the majority would get a general rise equal to CPI of 2.7 per cent.

Former councillor William Owen-Jones and Division Six candidate and community advocate Samantha Delmege predict few Gold Coast ratepayers have received notices “at or below inflation”.

“I’m keen to buy a beer for the first person that checks their rates notice and finds an increase of 2.7 per cent or less,” Mr Owen-Jones said.

The reference was a political shot at Mayor Tom Tate, who had pledged to buy ratepayers a beer if 80 per cent of beaches were not opened by Easter after Cyclone Alfred.

Mr Owen-Jones, the City’s former finance committee chair, provided details of his bill for a 70-year-old detached cottage in Southport which had changed from $2203 to $2426.

William Owen-Jones is a former councillor and finance committee chair. Picture: Richard Gosling

“That is an increase of 10.14 per cent on last year’s bill – and it’s more than three and half times the trumpeted rate of inflation,” he said.

Mr Tate said the land valuations in the suburb where Mr Owen-Jones lived showed the rate increase from unimproved value had grown 44 per cent, which amounted to about a $200,000 boost in a property’s value.

“So we averaged that out for three years. That’s how you get when he says his increase is 10 per cent – it’s way below a third of 44 per cent, fair and equitable,” he said.

“If it is somebody else, I’d say fair enough I understand, but being a former councillor he knows he has got a good deal out of it.

“To bellyache about it – mate, the value increase of your property has increased so much I think you can afford to go without two cups of coffee a day.”

A Coombabah resident, responding to the former councillor’s Facebook post, said her rates had increased by 15.27 per cent.

Others responding on the Labrador 4215 Facebook page confirmed rises of almost 15 per cent.

Ms Delmege questioned why her local councillor, Brooke Patterson, had backed the rate increases.

“Our house is a modest three bedroom in Southport and has increased by 10 per cent,” she said.

Samantha Delmege during the local government election.

“Why such a large increase when inflation is running at three per cent and the council are hell bent on buying surplus property?

“How much does this council want people to suffer during a cost of living crisis? The people living in high rises have had the View Tax slapped on them and now a rate increase. It will send people in high rises completely broke.”

A breakdown of rates notices show the biggest increases in waste and transport charges – in some cases up by 25 per cent.

At the June budget, the City said the majority of Coast ratepayers would get a 2.7 per cent increase in general rates.

Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel discuss the 2025 council budget. Picture: Andrew Potts

A City spokesperson said the average general rate increase for properties used as a principal place of residence was just 2.7 per cent – delivering at CPI.

“The City continues to use three year valuation averaging to manage the effect of large valuation changes and some properties may experience increases lower or higher than 2.7 per cent depending on their property valuation change,” the spokesperson said.

The 10 per cent discount for on time payment remains available and the pensioner rebate has increased by 10 per cent to $298.

“Most additional charges were kept to a minimum, some increasing by less than a dollar,” the spokesperson said.

“However, in order to meet increasing costs, the Waste Management Utility Charge and the Transport Improvement Charge did increase by more significant amounts.

“Due to the significant impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred the City has also introduced a $10 Disaster Management Response and Recovery separate charge for all ratepayers to support the recovery efforts and to build future resilience from severe weather events.”

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