Isaac region’s 2025/2026 budget reveals rates rise, funding for roads

Mining towns in central Queensland will cop a rate rise this year, with residents and miners expected to cough up more to fund local infrastructure.

The budget for 2025/2026 in Isaac reveals a more than five percent increase in rates.

Isaac residents will cop a five per cent increase to rates this year after council approved its 2025/26 budget.

The overall increase of rates and utility charges is on average 5.17 per cent, and residential rates increase by 4.95 per cent.

Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said this was ‘less than five dollars a week’ for 99.9 per cent of households in the region.

That would equal roughly $260 over the year.

An Isaac council spokesman said council have allocated $8.57m to providing discounts of 10 percent to residents who pay their rates early.

Sewerage charges will increase by four per cent, water access charges rose by 6.2 per cent and waste charges will increase by almost five per cent.

Almost half, 44 percent, of council’s $69.8m capital budget is being spent on roads, drainage, infrastructure and technical services, totaling $30.7m in 2025/2026.

A council spokesman said rural ratepayers will benefit from allocations of $3.85m to resurface 119km of sealed roads and $3.46m re-sheet 35.6km of unsealed gravel roads.

General rates for coal mining properties will also see a collective 5.58 per cent increase.

Isaac mayor Kelly Vea Vea announced an 5.17 per cent rise in overall rates for Isaac residents.

“Rural ratepayers absolutely used our paved and unpaved network,” they said.

“Most of their machinery and cattle trucks required access to the paved network in order to get to the properties.

“They also use our community facilities, pools, saleyards and showgrounds.”

Council will also deliver $14.6m to complete the Phillips Creek Bridge replacement on Saraji Road in Dysart.

Ms Vea Vea said the budget reflected council’s commitment to making sure Isaac towns are “strong” and “ready for the future”.

Part of the budget will go towards supporting early learning and child care in communities like Moranbah. Photo: Daryl Wright

The budget will also provide $2.8m to the Nebo Showgrounds stage one redevelopment, $2m for a new Country University Centre in Moranbah and Clermont and $1.6m to the Moranbah Early Learning Centre.

“The upgrade to the showgrounds supports cattle industry and other equestrian events used by our rural landowners,” a council spokesman said.

Council has also put $10.2m toward early works and infrastructure at the $41m Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct development at Moranbah.

The Isaac region’s budget for 2025/2026 is also delivering one quarter of the total funding for the Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct.

“This precinct will power innovation, training and jobs for the next generation and help diversify our economy,” Ms Vea Vea said.

Ms Vea Vea also said smaller allocations in the hundreds of thousands had been made to childcare centres across the region and were funding community grants and sponsorships.

“Roads, water, housing, services, opportunity and affordability … that is what this budget delivers,” Ms Vea Vea said.

Councillor Jane Pickels moved to approve the budget and the budget was approved at the regular council meeting on June 30, 2025.

The rise in rates from Isaac is in line with the Mackay region which raised residential rates by 4.95 percent.

The Whitsunday region residential ratepayers only face an average two per cent increase, but commercial ratepayers are copping an average increase of 20 per cent.

Originally published as Isaac region’s 2025/2026 budget reveals rates rise, funding for roads