Palmerston council announced increases to rate charges impacting homeowners

Ratepayers in the Top End will be paying even more after a council increased its fees by nearly 3 per cent.

Ratepayers in Palmerston will be paying even more after the council increased its fees by nearly 3 per cent.

With a minimum hike of $30, homeowners will be paying at least $1287 but it could be much more.

The rates rise came as the council released its budget plans for 2022/23.

Palmerston Council deputy mayor Amber Garden said the increases were necessary in order for the council to improve for community services.

“We wanted to make sure in this very hard time that we hadn’t put constraints on our community,” she said.

“We also wanted to make sure that we had didn’t reduce any of the services or programs because that’s what the community actually requested.

“Unfortunately, we’re in a position where we just cannot have a zero increases.

“It’s less than $1 a day for people and if you have a look at it over the last five years, we’ve only had an increase of $30 in our rates.”

As well as the rates rise, so too will the cost of bin collection.

Those with the standard residential kerbside collection will continue paying $480 a year but for those with an extra in, the price will increase by 2.4 per cent or up to $7 a bin.

Ms Garden also spruiked the council’s investment in its new pool precinct.

Originally published as Palmerston council announced increases to rate charges impacting homeowners