Glenorchy City is slugging ratepayers with an increase of 8.95 per cent.
Council’s budget passed at Monday night’s meeting also includes a total bill increase of around 7.5 per cent when waste charges and the state fire levy are factored in.
Mayor Bec Thomas says the rise, equating to around $2-3 a week, will put the budget back in the black in coming years, despite sharp materials and services cost increases of up to 30 per cent.
“In the past financial year alone, the council took on responsibility for more than $16 million worth of infrastructure linked to subdivision developments, on top of the $1 billion worth of existing community assets we have the responsibility to maintain,” said Cr Thomas.
“Like many councils, Glenorchy has been absorbing sharp cost increases of up to 30 per cent for
some materials and services. We need to be able to find that money in order to keep providing the
level of infrastructure or municipal area needs without going into more debt.”
Further up the river, Derwent Valley Council opted for a five per cent rate hike.
“So that we can continue to meet the expectations of the community and deliver on our commitments,
we will be leaning heavily into Grant funding, with around 51 per cent of our capital projects funded by grants in the coming year,” said Mayor Michelle Dracoulis.
In the state’s northwest, Kentish is set to vote through an increase capped at 6.9 per cent.
