Redland City Council lifts coastal charge to $280.48 a property

Redland City Council has adopted its Environment and Coastal Management separate charge for 2026-27, lifting it from $258.00 to $280.48 per property from 1 July 2026. The resolution was passed at Tuesday’s special budget meeting at the Council Chambers on Bloomfield Street, Cleveland.

The charge applies on a per-lot basis to all rateable land in the local government area. Council said the money will fund its operational environment and coastal management program.

The minutes say the program covers conservation area maintenance, bushfire mitigation, fauna management, waterway management, environmental education, conservation administration and coastal protection.

The budget papers describe coastal management as including foreshore maintenance, together with the implementation of Shoreline Erosion Management Plans and the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy to manage and protect significant community assets and values. The charge is subject to Council’s Farming Concession.

The rise adds $22.48 a year to the charge. In his budget address, the Acting Mayor described it as a little more than 40 cents a week per property and linked the increase to Redlands Coast’s environmental values and council’s financial pressures.

The same meeting also adopted the 2026-27 budget and revenue statement, with council saying total rates and utility charges revenue would increase 11.23% compared with 2025-26. The Acting Mayor said the median general rate for owner-occupied Category 1A homes would rise by about 5.47%, while commercial and industrial properties would rise by around 6.5%.

Council voted 10-0 to adopt the charge. Crs Wendy Boglary, Peter Mitchell, Paul Gollè, Lance Hewlett, Shane Rendalls, Julie Talty, Rowanne McKenzie, Tracey Huges, Jason Colley and Paul Bishop voted for the motion. Cr Jos Mitchell was absent.

Residents will see the new charge on 2026-27 rate notices, alongside the other adopted rates and charges. The levy applies across Redland City, including suburbs and localities such as Cleveland, Aquatic Paradise Canal Estate and Raby Bay Canal Estate.

The charge adds another recurring cost for ratepayers, while helping fund environmental and coastal works across Redland City.