Byron Shire ratepayers are facing another year of rising Council fees and charges, with Council’s draft 2026/27 budget showing an overall increase of around six per cent.
The proposed changes form part of Council’s draft Statement of Revenue Policy, which sets out how rates, fees and charges will be applied in the coming financial year.
The policy, along with the broader draft budget and operational plan, is due to be debated at a special Council meeting on 30 April, before going on public exhibition.
The increases come at a time when, like many Australians, locals are already grappling with rising living costs, particularly higher fuel prices driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which is flowing through to everyday expenses across the region.
$293 increase a year
Under the proposed fee schedule, the average residential rate will rise by 4.6 per cent, in line with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s rate peg.
But once water, waste and sewer charges are factored in, the total annual bill for a typical fully serviced property is set to climb from $5,119 to $5,412, an increase of $293, or 5.7 per cent.
The biggest jump comes from water, with both access and usage charges increasing by about ten per cent. Council says this is partly due to ‘the increase cost to purchase water from Rous County Council’, as well as broader pressures on the water fund.
Waste charges are also rising by between four and six per cent, while sewer charges will increase by 3.8 per cent.The increases follow several years of increases in rates and fees across the shire.
Service charges and user pay increases
While general rate rises have been constrained by rate pegging since the end of Council’s last Special Rate Variation in 2020/21, households have continued to absorb increases through service charges, particularly for water and waste.
Council has also progressively increased user pays fees across a range of services.
This year is no exception.
The draft fees and charges schedule includes several notable hikes, including a significant increase to the annual levy for children’s services, which would rise from $250 to $450, and sharp increases to some cemetery fees.
Changes to market and food business fees are also proposed, with some charges rising substantially.
Council argues the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and rising costs, noting that fees have been adjusted to reflect ‘increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)/Indexation’ and the ‘cost of service provision’.
Its budget papers also point to escalating expenses for materials, insurance, and technology, alongside growing demand for services and infrastructure maintenance.
Even so, the overall rise is likely to add to cost-of-living pressures for local residents, particularly given the cumulative impact of previous increases.
Residents will have an opportunity to make submissions during the exhibition period, with Council required to consider community feedback before final adoption in June.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
