The Brisbane Labor Opposition has called out the LNP Council over higher rates, fees, and charges on the centenary of Greater Brisbane.
Last year, Council unveiled a new $1.98 charge to receive rates notices by mail. But answers to Questions on Notice reveal that it only costs Council $1.53 to send a rates notice.
Despite a prolonged marketing campaign and a raffle by Council, more than half of Brisbane ratepayers have not signed up to e-rates.
Further, all councillors received an email this week advising that from October 1, Australia Post’s cost to send unaddressed mail will increase from $0.175 to $0.205 per item.
Council spent almost $1.6 million on production and distribution of ‘Living in Brisbane’ newsletters in the last financial year.
Labor noted during Adrian Schrinner’s tenure; he has handed down seven budgets with rates now 25% higher than 2019.
Opposition Leader in City Hall, Jared Cassidy, said the Lord Mayor was using the hundreds of residents moving to Brisbane every week as nothing more than a revenue stream:
“Fees that did not exist six years ago are now a reality. Fees that did exist six years ago have shot up by as much as 159%.”
“But Brisbane is getting less. The Story Bridge is crumbling into the river. We’ve got the worst congestion in Australia. Parks and playgrounds are still taped off after Ex-TC Alfred. Yet the LNP thinks it is fine to spend millions a year on advertising.”
It does not stop at just newsletters. Labor also provided several examples of cost increases for various fees and charges:
| NOTEABLE INCREASES IN FEES AND CHARGES UNDER LORD MAYOR ADRIAN SCHRINNER FEES AND CHARGES |
Percentage Increase under Adrian Schrinner | 2019-20 | 2025-26 |
| Dog registration (non desexed first year) | 21% | $109 | $132.60 |
| Registration – non-desexed dog – subsequent years | 21.5% | $145.55 | $176.90 |
| Registration – desexed dog first year | 19.4% | $38.10 | $46.30 |
| Registration – desexed dog – subsequent years | 19.3% | $50.75 | $61.60 |
| Building Certification | |||
| Minor additions/alterations (< 50 square metres) (e.g. < 50 square metres inclusive of decks, patio roofs, verandas + bedroom) | 67.7% | $1,079.65 | $2184.90 |
| Development Assessment | |||
| a new dwelling house | 93.8% | $826.00 | $2,288.00 |
| extension to a dwelling house | 53.5% | $826.00 | $1,430.00 |
| Food licence | |||
| Food business (Minor < 250 square metres: 5-star rating) | 19.4% | $394.80 | $479.95 |
| Application to obtain a footpath dining permit | 159% (inc. design assessment) | $116.90
(Plus design assessment $715) |
$1,049.35 |
| Rates | |||
| Establishment Fee | 64.45% | $195.20
(2020-2021) |
$321 |
| Paper rates fee (new fee) | NIL | $1.98 | |
| Application fee per Resident’s Permit | 57.6% | $10.00 | $18.10 |
The 2025-26 Council budget handed down in June again delivered another rates rise above inflation and a higher rates rise than the Gold Coast and Moreton Bay.
It came after $470 million was slashed in last years budget, resulting in hundreds of job losses and contract cancellations.
