Council Adopts Fairer, User-Pays System in 2025/26 Fees and Charges
Published on 24 June 2025
At the May 2025 local government meeting, Cassowary Coast Regional Council endorsed its 2025/26 Register of Fees and Charges, adopting a user-pays approach to ensure fairness, sustainability, and transparency in the delivery of services to the community.
The updated schedule, which takes effect from 1 July 2025, supports the delivery of key services while ensuring those who use specific facilities or resources contribute directly to their ongoing provision, rather than the cost being borne by all ratepayers.
Mayor Teresa Millwood said the revised Fees and Charges are a practical step towards ensuring services remain financially sustainable and aligned with community needs.
“This is about fairness,” Mayor Millwood said. “Those that are using a particular service or undertaking an activity, will pay for that service or activity.
“By ensuring that fees and charges recover our actual costs, we are easing the burden all ratepayers while continuing to provide and improve the services our community relies on.”
The 2025/26 Register was developed in line with the annual budget process and involved extensive internal consultation and Council workshops. Of the 765 individual fees and charges reviewed, 146 remain unchanged or have been reduced. A further 23 have been removed, while 25 new fees have been introduced, primarily to support cost recovery and maintain service levels.
Key changes include:
- Waste disposal fees updated to reflect different load sizes, with green waste and sorted recyclables continuing to remain free of charge.
- A nominal $8.50 fee for mulch loading has been reintroduced to cover machinery and staffing costs, while self-loading remains free.
- Annual desexed dog registration fees have increased by $1.00 with entire dogs fee increase by $5.00 to $150 to encourage desexing, with no change for pensioners registering their first dog.
- A new microchipping fee introduced to ensure impounded pets can be safely reunited with their owners.
- Rates notice fee of $2.20 per paper copy, introduced in line with Council’s ‘Transition to Paperless’ initiative, with email delivery remains free.
Council has also removed some charges, such as the quarterly hire fee for pig traps, as service improvements have rendered them unnecessary.
Councillor Millwood emphasised that fees have been set using a balanced and responsible approach.
“Most changes align with CPI, and where higher fees are applied, it reflects a genuine cost-recovery need. These decisions help ensure we can continue to offer quality services without compromising our long-term financial sustainability,” she said.
Residents are encouraged to visit Council’s website to view the full Fees and Charges Register.