Scenic Rim households face new waste charges after 4-3 council vote

Scenic Rim households and businesses will pay the council’s 2026-27 waste management utility charges after councillors adopted the fee schedule and voted 4-3 to designate all premises in the Scenic Rim as areas where general waste collection may be provided.

The resolution covers every property in the council area that can receive council waste services. It also ties the charges to the 2026-27 financial year, with the settings taking effect from 1 July 2026.

The waste vote was one of several financial decisions taken at the same special meeting, but it was the only one to split councillors 4-3. Councillors also adopted the Revenue Statement 2026-2027, which forms the basis for rates, charges and financial settings for the year ahead.

Alongside the waste charges, council resolved to levy a $688.00 Transport Infrastructure Charge and a $53.00 Environmental Charge for 2026-2027. The environmental charge motion also passed 4-3.

The broader package also included differential general rates, rural fire special charges for the Boonah and Beaudesert Rural Fire Groups, updated discount and hardship policies, and an overdue rates recovery procedure that carries 12.19% annual interest on overdue amounts.

For residents, the immediate effect is that waste charges are now locked in for 2026-27, and council has formally marked the region as an area where general waste collection may be provided where services can be reached.

The same meeting adopted the 2026-2027 Operational Plan, the debt policy and the budget framework for the year ahead, but the waste charge decision directly affects what many property owners will see on their bills and whether collection can be offered at their address.