General News
27 January, 2026
TRC to hit ratepayers with big rises
RATEPAYERS on the Tablelands are bracing for another two annual rate rises of around 10%, according to the council’s three-year financial forecast.
Tablelands Regional Council has forecast a rise of 10.4% for this year’s coming budget, and another 9.95% in 2027-28, bringing the total increase in rates to more than 30% in just three years.
Some of the additional rates revenue listed in the financial papers, which were presented alongside this year’s budget, will come from new housing, but this is estimated to equate to only around .25%.
In the current budget, ratepayers were slugged with a 10.4% rise as well as 9% for water access, 9.9% for sewerage access, and an 8.35% increase for residential waste services
In addition, there will be new land valuations issued in March/April this year which will also hit the hip pockets of ratepayers.
Given the forecast increases in rates, it is more than likely rents will also rise for landlords to meet the additional council costs.
In the same budget financial papers, the council is also forecasting employee benefits to increase in 2026-27 by 6%. The Express asked the council whether the rise was an agreed part of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, which sets in place agreed upon rises for staff usually over a three-year period, but the council declined to answer.
Currently, staffing costs exceed $30 million a year and are forecast to reach $33.1 million in the 2027-28 year. In contrast, Mareeba Shire’s council employee costs are around $20 million a year.
The financial document tabled as part of the budget also forecasts materials and services to reduce by 9.2% in 2026-27. The Express asked council how this could be right given the ongoing rise year-on-year for these materials and services, but the council declined to explain the figures.
The financial document also shows that borrowings will jump from $20.357 million to $46.832 million in 2027-28. The Express asked council whether these funds would be for major sewerage and water infrastructure works, but the council declined to comment, except to point to commentary made by Mayor Rod Marti and chief executive officer Nikola Stepanov at the time of last year’s budget.
At that time, Mayor Marti explained that council was facing having to fund $100 million in sewerage infrastructure for Atherton and Yungaburra.
He said when council first started investigating the replacement of the Atherton Sewerage Treatment in 2018-19, the cost was around $10.5 million, but that had blown out to $30 million in 2023-24, and today was estimated to be $66 million.
“Yungaburra’s sewerage upgrade is also around the corner and this is estimated at $33 million. Such infrastructure is intergenerational and funding it requires an intergenerational financial plan,” he said at the time.
“In addition, council must find a long-term solution for Atherton’s water supply.”
Dr Stepanov told the July 2025 budget meeting that a forecast 10-year capital works program of $530 million (in today’s dollars) was being brought onto the council’s long term financial plan.
As a former councillor, David Clifton has raised concern about the council’s three-year budget forecast, saying the community had the right to expect that figures presented in the plan were “accurate and coherent”.
“Any cursory analysis of the three-year financial plan put forward by the TRC shows that there are either significant errors, new accounting practices or the figures are conveniently prepared to give the ‘right’ bottom line for public consumption,” he said.
“Given the ‘cone of secrecy’ that has descended over the decision-making and operations of the TRC since 2025, it has proved impossible to get answers to the reasoning behind figures such as a 9.2% decrease in materials and services.
“We know that TRC has an asset problem and to have a decrease in items such as gravel, fuel, consultant services and a range of other operating costs is just unimaginable!
“The three-year budget has clearly been struck to try to present to the community that the TRC finances are under control and are well-planned.
“Well, the test is always in the taste – the taste for TRC is that a planned budget surplus for 2025-26 of $24,515 has turned into a deficit of $1,464,770 in the first six months of the year.
“What is the annual result likely to be?
“The TRC will be in the process of preparing our budget for 2026-27 which is scheduled for approval in June this year.
“Let’s hope that they can keep any increase in rates and charges to 5% rather than the projected 10% and let’s hope they can introduce an Efficiency Productivity Scheme over a period of years by reducing their operating costs at 5% per annum.
“Ask your councillor what he or she thinks of that idea.”
