How your rates are spent

Council provides more than 50 services to 98,000 residents – all funded by rates, charges, fees, grants and loans.

Rates also pay for services and infrastructure for individual properties, such as water and sewerage.

How every $100 you pay in rates and annual charges is spent

How every $100 you pay in rates and annual charges is spent
Council Matters icon 01 - sewers
Sewer services $21
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Roads, transport, drainage and flooding $21
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Support services $12
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Waste management and recycling $11
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Parks, sports fields, open space and aquatic centres $10
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Community buildings, services, libraries, art and culture $7
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Planning, building, compliance, and emergency management $7
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Water supply* $4
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Environment and sustainability $4
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Customer service, community engagement, communications and civic services $2
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Business and economic development $1
  Total $100

*Excludes water user charges 

What do my rates pay for?

Rates help to pay for your local services:

Services

  • waste collection, recycling and street cleaning
  • water and wastewater treatment plants
  • water reservoirs, mains and supply network including pumping stations
  • Wastewater pumping stations and mains
  • local roads, bridges, footpaths, kerb and guttering, signage and drainage maintenance and cycleways
  • parks, playgrounds, gardens, sports fields, aquatic facilities, skateparks and reserves
  • libraries and a range of community services (for elderly and youth)
  • Community festivals arts and cultural assistance, and visitor information centre
  • town planning, landscaping, development applications / building inspections / construction certificates
  • ranger services, including dog control
  • strategic planning for the future
  • food shop inspections
  • environmental management
  • noxious weeds eradication
  • community facilities
  • services to the aged and youth
  • bus shelters
  • traffic management

See Council services

Rates also help to pay for assets and facilities worth more than $3 billion:

Council assets

  • 1079km of sealed roads, 164km of unsealed roads
  • 210km of footpaths, 790km of kerb and gutters
  • 5678 street lights
  • 208 concrete bridges, 35 wooden bridges
  • 99 car park areas
  • 376km of drainage, 10.4km of levee banks
  • 400 flood gates
  • Clarrie Hall Dam and 2 weirs
  • 3 water treatment plants and 8 wastewater treatment plants
  • 43 reservoirs
  • 28 water and 185 wastewater pump stations
  • 716km of water mains and 700km of sewer mains
  • 33 community buildings and three community centres
  • regional art gallery and museum
  • 3 libraries and 2 civic centres
  • 37 sports fields
  • 378 parks, 82 playgrounds
  • 78 picnic areas with barbecues in 39 Council parks
  • 3 aquatic centres
  • maintenance of public toilets, amenity blocks
  • 11 cemeteries