Dubbo Regional Council makes changes to residents rates for 2023/24

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has determined that the Dubbo Regional Council's general income may be increased by the rate peg of 3.7 percent for the 2023/2024 financial year.

The Valuer General has also provided the council with land valuations for all properties within the Dubbo Regional Council Local Government area as at July 1, 2022 under a general valuation.

These values will take effect for rating purposes as at July 1, 2023.

DRC mayor Mathew Dickerson said the total rating pool will go up by 3.7 percent, but that didn't mean that individual rates would go up by that amount.

"Our valuer general may put rates up much higher or lower and a combination of the valuer general's evaluations and the 3.7 percent will decide what your rating might be," he said.

"Your rates may go up by more than 3.7 percent or be less than 3.7 percent and just seeing the additional unimproved land value doesn't mean your rates will go up.

"Overall our pool will increase but individual circumstances may be different to that."

It was a tough motion for councillor Josh Black to get on board with, saying he would be supporting it "through gritted teeth".

"I know it's hard with inflation but rates are getting very dear within Dubbo, I've noticed that and people comment that to me all the time," he said.

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"I'll have to support it because our costs are going up but I'm not happy about it."

Cr Black said if they have a rate rise he wants to ensure the council continues to deliver on projects over the next 12 months so residents can see value for money.

"I will support this but I don't like rate increases, but they are necessary if we want services around our towns and villages," he said.

The councillors also voted that the rates structure will include newly defined boundaries for the residential Dubbo urban rating sub-category.

Ratepayers directly impacted by the change to the boundary will be notified by a letter from the council in early May.

Changing the boundaries of defined rating sub-category does not result in additional rate income for the council.

The amount applicable to residential village and residential Geurie will be set to ensure the minimum rate is applicable to less than 50 per cent of properties.

The minimum rate proposed to be set for 2023/24 for residential villages and Geurie is $599.39.

In a report to the council it stated, "this amount is considered appropriate given the level of service provided to all village properties and is relative to the minimum rate applicable to other residential sub-categories".

"Council cannot increase the minimum rate for any rate sub-category beyond the 3.7 percent rate peg increase set by IPART due to legislative requirements," the report stated.

The mayor said this wasn't council "picking on Geurie" but came from the valuer general who had been evaluating properties across the LGA.

"Geurie seemed to have a much larger evaluation across the LGA which meant our normal rating structure created somewhat of an issue," he said.

The Annual Statement of Revenue Policy and Budget (including fees and charges) forms part of the Operational Plan and will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days during May 2023.