Council reduces plumbing and building fees

Each year, council adopts fees and charges for the financial year. With each adoption, it is expected that the fees and charges should be reasonable and must be aligned with the cost of the service. 

After an internal review of the building and plumbing fees, a number of issues were highlighted and an amendment to the fees was presented in council’s Ordinary Meeting on 24 March 2021. 

The main issues raised were that the current fees do not reflect the costs of service. 

Council endorsed the removal of the following fees:

• $55.00 plumbing fee: converting constructed drawings to electronic format. 

• $497.00 plumbing fee: reactivation for historical and lapsed plumbing work. 

• $6.70 plumbing fee: plumbing lodgement via OMA app. 

And the reduction of the following fee:

• $51.50 plumbing fee: plumbing lodgement other than by OMA app - NOW $30.00

The waiving of fees associated with any building or plumbing application fees for development applications on council owned and/or controlled land was also endorsed. 

The adoption of the recommendation was met with a unanimous vote.

Mayor Glen Hartwig said that the reduction of the fees was a step in the right direction.

“It’s good that we are removing fees. The cost of building even in a small way is becoming cheaper.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to charge the volunteers that work hard to keep the fabric of our community together.” he said in reference to waiving fees where a community organisation is undertaking building works on council owned land.

The adopted changes will be amended in the 2020/2021 fees and charges and will be considered as a part of the 2021/2022 budget processes for the adoption of fees and charges.