Council operations support everyday life for residents
Published on 30 July 2026
Gympie Regional Council is delivering 41 unique services to support the everyday lives of people living in the region.
Following the adoption of the 2026-27 Council Budget earlier this month, Council is getting on with the job of ensuring people have access to quality essential services, while also providing the facilities, programs, services, and events needed to keep our region vibrant and liveable.
Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said Council had worked hard to adopt a responsible budget focussed on doing the basics well.
"As we enter into the new financial year, we have a renewed focus on ensuring every cent of ratepayer funding is invested in where it matters most," Cr Hartwig said.
"Through our budget we have worked hard to ensure our community remains an affordable place to live, while also balancing rising cost pressures in delivering the services our residents rely on."
For every $100 in rates Council spends:
$38 – Roads, bridges, stormwater, and footpaths
$22 – Facilities, libraries, saleyards, pools, and galleries
$16 – Parks, recreational fields, and open spaces
$10 – Regulatory, environmental, and natural resource services
$6 - Planning, building, and plumbing services
$5 - Corporate services, administration, and governance
$3 – Community, tourism, and events
From this rates period, Council's pensioner rebate will also increase to $200 per year for eligible pensioners, aligning Council with the State Government rebate, providing a total $400 discount per annum. If you haven’t yet applied for your Council pensioner rebate, there is still time before rates are due for payment.
Cr Hartwig said as rates notices are issued this week, residents are encouraged to learn more about how rates are determined and how Council invests this funding.
"We are one of the few Council Councils that own and operate its own water and sewerage facilities. We also do not have separate levies charged to ratepayers for things like heritage or the environment," he said.
“This means that unlike our Council neighbours, ratepayers in Gympie will see utilities like water and waste included in their rates notice with the revenue raised being invested back into infrastructure to support these services. While general rates revenue is used to fund all other projects and programs.
"Other areas in Southeast Queensland provide a separate bill from external providers such as Unitywater or SEQ Water for water and sewerage services, so it's important to keep that in mind if you are comparing rates notices with other local government areas.”
Council offers a range of payment plan options to help people meet their rate payments. These can be short or long-term plans that can be structured weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Residents are encouraged to find out more by contacting Council's friendly Customer Contact Centre on 1300 307 800.
To learn more about how rates are determined and what Council is responsible for, visit https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/Council-Budget
ENDS