Rockhampton Council to auction properties with unpaid rates

Rockhampton landowners with unpaid rates could have their properties auctioned in just a few months’ time, unless they cough up the cash for their overdue bills.

Housing estates in Rockhampton.

Rockhampton property owners with overdue rates will be given final notices to pay their rates bills or their properties will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Councils have the authority under the Local Government Regulation Act to sell land to recover rates and charges overdue for three or more years.

Those property owners with overdue rates were sent a letter in November 2022, advising the property was eligible for land sale.

After a discussion at the council meeting on January 24, the council will now issue a Notice of Intention to Sell to the owners and mortgagees.

Ratepayers will have an amnesty period of three months from the date of the notice to pay all outstanding amounts.

There are 50 properties eligible for sale, with outstanding rates and charges totalling about $1 million.

An auction is planned for May or June this year.

The land is to be sold at market or land value or higher than the amount of the overdue rates/charges.

The last Rockhampton Regional Council land sale auction was held in March 2022.

Of the 93 eligible properties, two houses and one block of land went to auction, recouping $259,000.

The Rockhampton Regional Council report for the last quarter notes council has more $3 million in overdue rates.

The last council rates were due in September 2022.

In the latest budget handed down in July for 2022/23, a 5.92 per cent rate rise was implemented.

This saw the average ratepayer pay a rate rise of around $216.18 per year or $4.15 per week.

It was the second highest rate increase since the deamalgamation of the council in 2012.

Comparing rates charges to other suburbs and councils in the state, Gracemere is 56th with an average rate of $3,310 and Rockhampton was 61st with $3,281.

Originally published as Rockhampton Council to auction properties with unpaid rates