Brisbane’s 2025–26 budget will bring rate increases for most homeowners across the city, with those buying inner-city units after 1 October facing some of the steepest hikes — and Stones Corner among the hardest hit.
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New property owners in the inner suburbs will see an extra $100 added to their annual rates bill, more than double the inflation rate. In Stones Corner, the average total rates and charges will rise by over $143, marking a 7.99 per cent increase, among the highest ones under the new cap.
Announced by Cr Adrian Schrinner, the $4.1 billion budget includes an average rate rise of 4.7 per cent for owner-occupiers — roughly $1.14 a week — with the minimum increase set at 3.87 per cent. Although rates in a few suburbs, such as Yeronga and Tennyson, will drop slightly due to land valuation adjustments, suburbs like South Brisbane, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley and Stones Corner will bear the brunt of the changes.
Coorparoo Ward Cr Fiona Cunningham, whose electorate includes Stones Corner, said the rate increases had been carefully managed in the face of rising construction costs and limited external funding. She pointed to a 40 per cent spike in concrete prices and a 26 per cent jump in other building materials, adding that councils had long been underfunded by both state and federal governments.
Cr Cunningham also noted that about 273,000 Brisbane residents would continue to benefit from the on-time payment discount, which will save them a combined $47 million this financial year. She said the pensioner rebate would increase by $50, bringing it to $1298, and confirmed the continuation of the popular $2 Summer Dips pool entry initiative.
Despite speculation earlier this week, the council confirmed a citywide rollout of green bins will go ahead. This move is designed to divert more organic waste from landfill and avoid a state-imposed “bin tax”, even though the waste levy for green bins will rise by almost $50 annually — including for those who may not want one.
Cr Cunningham defended the budget as responsible and focused on service delivery, stating that if Labor or the Greens had been elected last year, rates could have risen by up to 30 per cent due to what she described as billions in unfunded commitments with no identified savings.
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The budget also forecasts a $298 million surplus and a drop in city debt to $2.9 billion by 2028–29. Council assets are now valued at $45.2 billion, with 85 per cent of spending committed to projects in the suburbs.
Published 19-June-2025