AN INDEPENDENT assessment of council rates across 11 local government areas has ranked Ipswich third for “bang for buck”.
The report by South East Queensland Community Alliance reviewed the rates, fees and charges covering areas ranging from water, rubbish, bins, and emergency levy.
The breakdown in the assessment had annual rates and water bills of a typical homeowner in Ipswich at $3700, comprising of $1200 of general rates as the largest segment followed by sewerage and bulk water.
The Emergency Management Levy rate, set by State Government, consisted of between $660 to $800 per ratepayer.
In the 2022/23 period, Ipswich City Council ranked top of the list, with the report this year showing a drop in rankings.
Mayor Teresa Harding said that despite the drop, it showed that Ipswich City Council was still third cheapest and was working hard to continue to deliver “bang for buck” for ratepayers.
“This council is very mindful of the cost-of-living pressures our community is facing and has worked hard to plan for growth as well as provide many free and low-cost activities for residents,” Cr Harding said.
“We have worked very hard to offer Ipswich residents great value for money through our free and low-cost activities and events, investment in our roads and assets, and the delivery of the services and programs our community expects.
“Of the five previous council budgets, four have been below the rate of inflation despite the steep increase in operational and construction costs over this time.”
Cr Harding said she was delighted to see Ipswich once again recognised for keeping its rates, levies, and charges among the lowest in South East Queensland.
“We don’t have the significant rates base and economies of scale that a council like Brisbane has, so we work extra hard to manage our budget effectively,” she said.
“Not all rates are published in the same way, each council does it differently, so it can be hard for the community to work out if they are getting a good deal for their rates.
“This is a great opportunity for Ipswich residents to see the rates and charges of all councils compared equally and be reassured we are keeping the costs to our ratepayers as low as possible.”
Cr Harding said councils received only 3 per cent of all taxes, paid while the other 97 per cent goes to the State and Federal Governments.
Ipswich rates bills were distributed last week, with due date to receive a discount listed as August 22.
