Farmers, vacant landowners to pay $205 more in rates

UP TO 1000 farm owners, 2600 vacant landholders and 400 other ratepayers in Bass Coast, who don’t presently pay a specific waste management charge, are likely to be paying one from next year.

The cost? About $205 on your rates’ notice, they say.

But it’s got nothing to do with a household rubbish bin pick-ups.

Except that the 30,000 other ratepayers who already pay a ‘Garbage’ charge on their rates’ notice, for a kerbside service, will get some relief.

They’re saying about $27 nett.

They’re the ones who’ve been covering the cost of public rubbish bin collection up until now.

In fact, $7 million comes off their kerbside bin collection bill and goes back on everyone’s rates' notice as a ‘Municipal Waste Charge’ contributing to the cost of emptying council-owned bins and cleaning up after illegal dumping.

That’s a helluva cost for that each year, right?

But it’s the figure being quoted on the Bass Coast Shire Council’s Engage Bass Coast website, under the heading ‘Waste Service Charge Review’ where community consultation about the new charge has already started.

At last Wednesday’s council meeting, where the new arrangements were put out for public comment by council, Cr Jan Thompson urged everyone to take an interest.

“I ask that everyone reads carefully these options and reviews how this will affect and impact you,” said Cr Thompson.

“This will affect approximately 4000 rateable properties across the shire, and it is your chance to have your say,” she said, highlighting the opportunities for community engagement, at drop-in sessions and online until October 21.

Drop-in session locations include:

• Cowes (Berninneit) Monday, September 21 (12.30pm-2pm)
• Newhaven (Visitor Information Centre) Thursday, September 24 (5pm-6:30pm)
• Grantville (Rec Reserve) Tuesday, September 29 (1pm-2:30pm)
• Inverloch (Hub) Friday, October 2 (2:30pm-2pm)
• Wonthaggi (hall) Saturday, October 3 (10:30am-12pm).
• Krowera (Hall) Tuesday, October 6 (5:30pm-7pm).

Everyone, according to the council, should be paying their fair share of the cost of clearing away public rubbish, not just those with a kerbside service, but the Local Government Service Rates and Charges ‘Good Practice Guidelines’ (January 2026) is specific about what can be included in a new ‘Service Rate or Charge’, such as that being proposed by Bass Coast.

The guidelines say it may be considered good practice to use a Service Rate or Charge for the recovery of up to the cost of (but not exceeding):

• The collection of illegally dumped municipal waste on council land
• The collection of council owned bins in public spaces and subsequent management of this waste, including transport, storage, processing and disposal and directly associated infrastructure.

Note that, “up to but not exceeding cost recovery” and only costs “directly” associated.

The guidelines are specific that other clean-up and waste management services cannot be included within a Service Rate or Charge, including street sweeping, footpath and drain cleaning, graffiti removal, municipal tree planting and maintenance, parks and gardens maintenance including roadside verges, public toilet cleaning and maintenance, public education and advocacy activities, climate change activities and advocacy, community waste management activities such as cloth nappy workshops, worm farms and tree planting, waste management at events and festivals, beach and waterway cleaning.

The shire is pitching it as more transparent and equitable way to distribute these costs through a split charge approach.

But the shire’s General Manager Innovation and Engagement Patrick Dillon was at pains to reassure councillors and the community that it’s not a revenue grab.

“Importantly, this review is not intended to increase the total waste revenue collected by council,” Mr Dillon said in his preamble to the discussion at Wednesday’s council meeting.

However, asked by the Mayor Cr Brett Tessari, for some clarification that the new levy wasn’t about the collection of bins, Mr Dillon tended to go beyond the government’s guidelines.

“This is not about collection of the bins or fees for the collection of the bids at properties, but it's actually for the collection of bins around the town centres. Is that correct?” asked Cr Tessari.

“True, Mr Mayor. For clarification, we are recommending two separate charges. One is related to kerbside collection and those that currently get a kerbside collection. But separating out all of the other charges, which include public bins, collection of dumped rubbish, how we dispose of some of our waste and avoid landfill. They are some of the elements that will be included in a municipal-wide charge.”

But the council will need to firm up its messaging, according to council watcher, Graham Jolly, who noted that the local government guidelines were specific about what could be included in a new municipal charge, and what couldn't.

“My concern is that there’s not enough exposed detail on what waste management service costs are included in the rates, what’s included in the kerbside charge and what services are going to be paid for out of the new levy for people to give an informed response,” said Mr Jolly.

“The bottom line is I’m concerned that the shire is simply going down the path of generating more revenue, maybe not next year but in future years.”

He noted that the existing Waste Management Levy and the new Waste Management Charge were both outside the ‘Fair Go” rate cap system which the State Government (Essential Services Commission) set at a maximum increase of 2.75% this year, whereas Bass Coast’s revenue from the waste charge went up 8.4% in the 2026-27 budget to $20.4 million.

“It’s potentially another free hit for a cash-strapped council,” he said.

More to follow.