Council’s rates rise anger builds as Nambour resident’s petition attracts over 4200 signatures

Sunhsine Coast Mayor, Councillors and CEO pictured after the Budget meeting.

A petition calling for Sunshine Coast Council to keep rates and fees in line with inflation has surged past 4200 signatures as ratepayers push back against one of the steepest household increases in years.

The Change.org petition, titled Keep Sunshine Coast Council fees within CPI, was launched by Nambour resident John Mugliett after council’s June 1 budget meeting, where councillors approved a 9.7 per cent average increase in rates and utility charges for most owner-occupiers.

By Thursday morning, June 27, the petition had attracted 4114 signatures.

The budget also more than doubled annual dog registration fees for desexed, microchipped dogs, from $30 to $63, adding to frustration among households already under cost-of-living pressure.

Mr Mugliett, a lifelong Sunshine Coast resident, ratepayer and pet owner, said the scale of the increases had gone beyond what many people could reasonably absorb.

“I first heard rates were increasing 9.7%, then that the Mayor and Councillors were getting a 3.25% wage increase which was awarded by Local Government remuneration commission,” he said.

“Then I saw that dog registration was increasing 110 percent. Dog registration had already increased by 50 percent in recent years so there should not have been any increase. At the same time council laid off 130 staff. This must result in reduced services.”

The petition argues council fees should be capped each year at a rate consistent with the Consumer Price Index, saying this would give residents a fairer and more predictable model while still allowing council to meet its operational needs.

“In recent years, I’ve watched in dismay as our local council’s fees have skyrocketed beyond reasonable expectation, straining the financial stability of many individuals and families within our community,” he said. 

Council has said the 2026-27 budget would mean an overall increase of $221.68 a year or 9.7 percent on 2025-26 for most owner-occupier ratepayers. It said the State Government’s recent land revaluation saw an average increase of 24 percent across the region and council had worked to mitigate the impacts.

The council has framed the budget as a tough but necessary response to rising costs, long-term financial pressure and the need to return the organisation to a more sustainable position.

The ABC reported on June 3 that Sunshine Coast Council would cut 130 roles as part of the budget, including about 80 redundancies and 50 vacant positions not being filled, with the move expected to save $15 million a year.   Mayor Natoli said council service delivery costs had jumped 30 per cent in four years and that the council had delivered budget deficits for the past five years.

The Gazette has previously reported Division 5 Councillor Winston Johnston’s frank warning at a Palmwoods community meeting that council faced the need to reduce expenditure by up to $100 million a year for the next decade, following long-running depreciation and infrastructure funding pressures.

For many residents, however, the petition reflects a simpler concern: household budgets cannot keep absorbing increases well above CPI. 

Mr Mugliett said comments by Councillor Joe Natoli about rates being insignificant compared with other taxes had added to community frustration.

“They may be insignificant to those on the wages he gets but they are crippling the Aussie battlers including families struggling to keep a roof over their head,” he said.

“Even those renting will be indirectly affected by landlords recuperating rate increases by increasing rent tariffs.”

Mr Mugliett said his concerns were shaped partly by his own experience working for council for 24 years before 2013.

“I worked for this Council for a period of 24 years prior to 2013 and saw many staff suggesting opportunities to reduce costs by using different processes and streamlining processes, however these were often ignored by management,” he said.

The petition states the fee increases are “not just fiscally unmanageable for many of us; they are unjust”.

“Our community is built on principles of fairness and economic equity, yet we find ourselves burdened with fees increasing at a rate disproportionate to the Consumer Price Index,” it states.

“When I started the petition I was unsure if the public would support it, but felt that I had to at least try,” Mr Mugliett told the Gazette.

“I’ve always believed it’s pointless to complain about anything if you aren’t willing to try to make a difference.”

He said he created the petition and shared it on a Nambour Facebook page, attracting a few hundred signatures within 12 hours.

“People were asking on other pages ‘where can I sign?’ And people were very grateful to me and thanked me for doing the petition,” he said.

“I am sure that they have had enough. I would ask people to share the link so everyone can sign. Everyone wants to sign it when they see it.

“I’m hoping to have the petition presented to council at a meeting in August. I would like to see more signatures by then, hopefully over 10,000.”

Mr Mugliett’s petition calls on council to “take immediate action” and tie future council-related fee increases to the cost of living.

“By keeping council fees within the CPI, we can protect the economic welfare of our community and preserve the vibrant, welcoming spirit that defines the Sunshine Coast,” it states.

You can sign the petition at https://c.org/6NMch7jgjB