Brisbane City Council recently announced its budget, which promises lower rates than others. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and, in the meantime, here are some of the highlights:
Although on average, rates will increase by 3.87% across Brisbane, this will vary per suburb. Fairfield, for example, will see a decrease of 2.84%! While, on the other hand, areas like Bowen Hills will see some of the steepest climbs: an 8.4% increase, capped at 7.5% for owner-occupiers of residential properties.
Similarly, if you’re looking to buy an inner-city apartment, we recommend you get that done before October 1, as a new rating category will apply to buyers from then on, increasing the minimum general rate by $25 a quarter.
Street parking fees are set to increase from $6.15 to $6.35, and entry to public swimming pools from $6.65 to $6.90 for adults and $4.95 to $5.15 for kids, but we can still expect the usual summer discounts to kick in at least!
In some better news, the beloved Story Bridge, whose footpaths have been closed due to damages and poor maintenance since March 5, is set to receive some TLC, with the Council replacing the footpath deck in the hopes of opening at least one new footpath deck over the next 12 months.
And whatever else happens, we won’t be lacking for fun, as Council announced a 25% increase in funding for no less than 128 multicultural festivals!
Unfortunately, waste removal fees will increase as well to $512.96, in a bid to make the city greener — literally — by implementing green bins as part of the standard services. In fact, residents in houses will automatically receive one unless they opt out, while apartment residents still have to opt in if they want a green bin. The extra cost of the bin, which comes to $49.62 will be mandatory regardless.
Speaking of green, there will be a big push to plant trees along key transport corridors in anticipation of the 2032 Olympic Games, and of course, the ambitious Mt Coot-tha eco-hub transformation. The proposal is not without controversy, as environmental advocates have flagged some preliminary concerns regarding the impact of construction, the loss of green spaces and the overcommercialisation of the precinct.
Finally, the bus network, including the Metro will continue to expand and be improved, potentially extending further out to the suburbs.