Bundaberg Regional Council’s 2026-2027 budget has balanced the impacts of cost increases and market volatility with prudent spending, firming the foundations of the region’s financial security.
Budget highlights:
- This budget is projecting an $8.4 million surplus. These funds are below the target Council needs to achieve to make principal debt repayments, plan for growth and respond to unforeseen circumstances.
- For an Urban Residential ratepayer, the general rate will increase by 8.28% which is equivalent to about $2.40 a week.
- To achieve financial sustainability immediately Council would have had to introduce a minimum general rates increase of at least 13.2% this year however Council knew this would be an unfair burden on ratepayers.
Following significant changes ahead of its 2025 – 2026 budget, which included an organisational restructure, operational efficiencies and a rates review, Council is continuing its positive financial turnaround.
The Long Term Financial Plan confirms that, despite facing more than a decade of deficits just two years ago, the organisation is projecting surpluses for the next eight years before meeting the surplus target it needs by 2035.
Finance portfolio spokesperson Cr Deb Keslake said this continued improvement in the region’s financial security was a positive result however it was crucial that Council remained on course.
“We’ve made positive progress in repairing our finances and we’ll keep building for the future,” Cr Deb Keslake said.
“While we are in a position where we’re making difficult decisions today, we’re firming the foundations for tomorrow to secure our region’s future.”
In the 2026 – 2027 budget Council is projecting an almost $8.4 million surplus, however this result remains below the organisation’s goal to achieve a 5% surplus of recurrent expenditure.
“It’s important that the community understand that a surplus isn’t just ‘money in the bank’,” Cr Keslake explained.
“These are critical funds which ensure we can make our principal debt repayments, plan for growth through the renewal and upgrade of our critical infrastructure and respond to unforeseen circumstances.
“During the current market uncertainty caused by global conflicts and supply chain issues, which have led to an average of 30% cost increases in many of the sectors that impact Council, having this additional capacity becomes even more important.
“While it is a positive result to achieve a surplus, having this surplus sitting below our target is also evidence that we need to continue to implement strategies to achieve financial security.”
Cr Keslake said Council understood that residents were also facing cost of living impacts.
“We know many locals are doing it tough which is why our rating strategy focuses on ensuring general rates are applied fairly and equitably across all categories.
“As a result the general rates for people’s homes have been kept as low as possible.
“For an Urban Residential ratepayer, the general rate will increase by 8.28% which is equivalent to about $2.40 a week.
“If we were to return our organisation to full financial sustainability immediately, we could have been looking at a minimum general rates increase of at least 13.2%.
“We know many residents are already doing it tough so that simply was not an option.
“Instead, we are taking a slow and steady approach in a very uncertain market ensuring we remain financially responsible while still supporting our community.
“This is why we are prepared to focus on achieving the surplus we need in the long term.”
Cr Keslake said overall, when including charges for utility costs including waste, water and wastewater, the average urban residential ratepayer would see an increase of $4.29 per week, which was a slightly lower increase than last year.
Council’s 2026 – 2027 budget document and associated resources can be found here.
There are budget education resources available on this page which further explain budget processes and concepts, including the Long Term Financial Plan and maintaining a surplus.
Madam Mayor
You stated that “To achieve financial sustainability immediately Council would have had to introduce a minimum general rates increase of at least 13.2% this year however Council knew this would be an unfair burden on ratepayers”.
Please don’t try and again con the ratepayers with an outrageous when projecting of $8.4 million surplus while increasing Urban Residential ratepayer, the general rate increase of 8.28% which is equivalent to about $2.40 a week.
Can you please advise the investment property increase will be.
It’s not to bad at all to be honest. It should not increase rents more then $10/week if passed on. My rent has not gone up sense 2021 well done Helen Blackburn.
Mark Snook,
Your request is too General. You would need to divulge the Rating Category you were in as per last years Rate Notive. For example Bargara is in Category 5 named Coastal Villages along with several others . All General Rates were determined by a simple multiplicaton (Unimproved Value of your property as determined By the Queesnsland Valuer Generals department…. Check your last valuation) multiply this by the BRC set advalorum. What was once 17 rating categies is now double that. New advalorums have been set for many categories including for Coastal villages incl Bargara with “new” larger ones set for ocean frontage, non PPR (principal place of residence) i.e. if you have rental tennants on a defined lease, or if y.our rental is for short lease BnB. You can view all of the differential rating categories on Bundaberg Now and the Charges ( for water connection, Sewer connection. Waste Connection. BUT then there are the extra Levies for Fire sevices etc etc Check your last BRC rates notice for theses. GOOD LUCK !!! I have done ours but I am good at these analysises but only learned yesterday that thw Qld Valuer Generals Office will revalue all properties within our Council area to reflect current sale prices. IMHO Another big rise can be expected
A investigation needs to be launched into what we are getting for our money. Huge amounts of projects are announced and never become reality. Even something as simple as upgrading bus waiting areas has not actually happened.
It seems like we were provided with a 2 regional deals to essentially split with the Fraser coast + considerably more funding on top yet almost nothing has come from them that is visible in Bundaberg. Well over $400 million in total it has helped Hervey Bay that once had a smaller population stream ahead of us in many ways but Bundaberg it’s self is floundering and we have almost as expensive rates as the Fraser Coast. We can’t even seemingly afford our flood mitigation ideas.
It is litterly like Bundaberg a city that once usto re develop regularly has been largely on pause sense Nita Cunningham left. Kepnock Town Centre is a Nita Cunningham idea. The only things we have to show for is the multi plex from Keith Pitt and the aquatics centre is actually Lorane Pyefinches doing.
Mal Formans ideas did not turn into reality and neither did Jack Dempseys. We now have a 3rd Mayor in a row of nothing thas is putting rates through the roof. The state members usually contribute nothing. Paul Neville & Nita Cunningham got things done for Bundaberg.
What happened to Helen Blackburn’s election promise? A bit like Albo’s promises; just proves to never believe any politician’ election promises. I am glad I never voted for her.
It’s not the fact that I won’t be able to buy a block of cheese it’s what you have also done to businesses and farmers. I now expect my workplace to shut down and for me to be lining up for a Centrelink payment. I’m not going to loose $6.50/week I’m going to loose $800/week because I’m going to loose my job and so is everyone else I work with. Others will not be able to make there homeloan repayments for the same reason.
If it’s not this year it will become more likely with each future raise. It’s exremely likey that the reason why the unemployment had drooped in 2019 and then again in the post COVID era because Mal Forman & Jack Dempsey had kept pressure on employers lower.
Sell your Bundaberg regions investment properties. Buy investments outside of Bundaberg this will bring money into Bundaberg from outside sources and grow our economy. It won’t help renters from aiding pass on but it will help keep businesses growing with more cash flow into the region.
I suggest we stop poring so much money into poker machines. Poker machines are costing us a staggering sum and we get almost no good from them.
Stop stuffing about move us in line with Fraser Coast, pay down debt and upgrade our region to support the growth. Even if we move inline with Fraser Coast for principle homes this is only $10/week more and would provide enough.
What is costing us is a lack of progress causing our businesses to suffer…
^After the change we are now about even with Fraser Coast overall how ever they do charge differently. Fraser Coast is how ever still in a deficit and piling on debt to expand meanwhile Bundaberg is not…
Looking over the information provided I would suggest that our council has a proven track record of being able to manage there situation. They had re-payed $60 million worth of debt from the 2011/2013 floods before Helen Blackburn was elected. The new debt from the pool is less then this it is likely that we were in no danger as long as they keep things going. It’s very likely that Mal Forman, Jack Dempsey and Helen Blackburn are perfectly fine as mayors.
If they can repeat what they did between 2013 – 2024 at current repayment rate $60 million could be payed off in 10 years. As repayment happens the Aquatics center will become more of an asset and contribute to debt reduction. It’s also quite possible that if planned well enough we could take on additional work like the CBD rework strengthening our businesses and improving the region more. The changes proposed might be exactly what we need to keep our city thriving while many others are becoming ghost towns.
If more people used the Aquatics Centre the debt it caused would get payed down faster. We could probably pay it off in only a few years especially if you brought the more expensive offerings.
I’m not paying more to live in one of the least desirable towns in the Country. I’m going to sell up and move to the Sunshine Coast. If you had got the CBD rework done that would be a thing but you don’t.
Read the release… they plan to borrow $90 million and pay it off over 20 years. This is more then they borrowed for the Aquatics centre and we might end up paying it off at the sametime.