Bundaberg ratepayers already face some of the highest council costs in Queensland, with the latest budget adding an 8.28 per cent increase in general rates for the average urban residential property.
A petition calling on Bundaberg Regional Council to reconsider charges on investment properties, bulk water prices and pensioner concessions has rapidly attracted hundreds of signatures amid anger over another sharp rise in council rates.
The Change.org petition, launched by the Bundaberg Regional Ratepayers Association, calls on Mayor Helen Blackburn and councillors to adopt three “enduring cost-of-living principles” when setting future budgets.
Petitioners want council to review the additional general rate imposed on properties that are not an owner’s principal place of residence, reconsider bulk water charges and restore the maximum council pensioner rate concession to its pre-2024 level of $330 a year.
They are also calling for each issue to be publicly debated at an ordinary council meeting, put to a formal vote and revisited during future budget deliberations.
“The Bundaberg community continues to experience significant cost-of-living pressures,” the petition says, arguing that higher council charges are adding pressure on families, retirees, businesses, farmers and community organisations.
The campaign follows Bundaberg Regional Council’s adoption of an 8.28% general rate increase for an average urban residential property in its 2026-27 budget.
The increase, which passed council by a narrow 6-5 vote in June, equates to about $2.40 a week in general rates. Once water, wastewater and waste charges are included, council says the average urban residential ratepayer will pay about $4.29 more each week.
Mayor Helen Blackburn drew criticism during the budget debate after comparing the weekly increase with the price of a loaf of bread or block of cheese, comments that prompted an online backlash from some ratepayers.
Council has defended the increases as necessary to repair its finances and meet rising infrastructure and service costs.
Its 2026-27 budget forecasts an $8.4 million surplus, but council says that remains below the level required to adequately repay debt, accommodate population growth, renew infrastructure and respond to unexpected events. Council said an immediate return to its preferred level of financial sustainability would have required a general rate rise of at least 13.2%.
Blackburn has said previous years of zero rate increases helped put council finances on an unsustainable trajectory and that rebuilding its financial position could take years.
Council has also pointed to population growth, flood recovery, volatile fuel prices and sharply higher construction and infrastructure costs.
Investment Property Interest Rates Targeted
A key focus of the petition is council’s relatively new Non-Principal Place of Residence, or NPPR, rating category.
Introduced in the 2025-26 budget, the category charges residential properties differently when the owner does not live in them.
Council argues investment properties can generate income and their rates may be tax deductible, while some short-term rental and non-owner-occupied properties can place additional demands on council services.
Council has said its eventual intention is for properties in the category to pay 140% of the general rate charged to comparable owner-occupied homes, although the increase is being phased in over several budgets.
The petition wants council to consider reducing or removing that additional charge, arguing it can ultimately affect not only property owners but renters, retirees and not-for-profit organisations.
Bulk Water, Pensioner Rebate Also in Sights
Bulk water costs are another target.
Council currently charges $6.20 per kilolitre for potable bulk water and $1.90 for non-potable water in 2026-27. Potable bulk water had been priced at $4.50 per kilolitre in 2025-26.
The petition asks council to ensure the system remains “fair, transparent and affordable” for households and businesses dependent on bulk water deliveries.
It also seeks restoration of council’s pensioner rate concession to a maximum $330 annually.
Council currently provides eligible pensioners with a fixed $200 annual concession, in addition to a Queensland government subsidy of 20% of eligible rates up to $200 a year.
The pressure being felt in Bundaberg reflects a wider squeeze facing councils and households across Queensland.
The Local Government Association of Queensland has argued councils are increasingly being asked to provide services without corresponding increases in unrestricted government funding, leaving ratepayers to carry more of the cost.
For Bundaberg’s petitioners, however, the argument is that council should continue searching for ways to ease that burden locally.
