Council endorses 2026–2027 fees and charges

Published on 29 May 2026

With a continued focus on cost recovery and minimising the financial burden on ratepayers, Scenic Rim Regional Council has adopted its fees and charges for 2026–2027.

At its Ordinary Meeting yesterday, Council approved its Register of Fees and Charges, effective 1 July 2026, for businesses and individuals for a range of services and facilities in preparation for its 2026–2027 Budget.

Scenic Rim Mayor Tom Sharp said Council’s fees and charges represented a key component of its 2026–2027 Budget, balancing the application of cost-recovery principles with the need to minimise the financial pressure on ratepayers.

“An ongoing challenge facing Council in developing its Budget is providing services at a fair and reasonable cost to the community,” he said.

“The estimated revenue from Council’s fees and charges for 2026–2027 is forecast to increase by approximately nine per cent, or around $1 million, compared with the current financial year.

"This will contribute a total of approximately $11.7 million towards Council’s revenue for the year ahead.”

Mayor Sharp said some of the more significant changes to fees and charges related to development and compliance services, with Council undertaking benchmarking against other local governments and reviewing the actual costs associated with delivering those services.

“In reviewing the proposed fees and charges, Council has sought, in some instances, to benchmark its structure with other councils to better reflect the full cost impacts of providing these services to the community,” he said.

“Importantly, this approach helps to ensure the broader ratepayer base is not unfairly subsidising specialised assessment, compliance and regulatory activities.”

In developing its Register of Fees and Charges for 2026-2027, Council also acknowledged that, in some circumstances, it may be appropriate to set charges below full cost recovery to support broader social, economic or environmental outcomes for the community.

The full list of Council's fees and charges, which will take effect from 1 July 2026, will be available on Council's website.