By Mitch Gaynor
SUNSHINE Coast Council is banking on more than $59 million in revenue from fees and charges in the next financial year, with a raft of new and revised payments aimed at cost recovery across key service areas.
Development Services alone is expected to bring in $20.4 million in 2025–26, according to council documents.
This includes income from development and plumbing application fees, operational works, inspections and certifications — although council notes that only about 70 per cent of activity in this department generates revenue.
Several new fees have been proposed as part of the 2025–26 budget process.
These include a $225 administrative fee applied to refund requests for Development Information and Advice Services.
If a request is withdrawn within five business days, the balance will be refunded; no refund is available after that window.
Applicants will also now be charged for written advice confirming whether a development application is required — something the council says private building certifiers are demanding before proceeding.
This will cost $365 for domestic dwellings and dual occupancies, and $640 for other developments.
Other new fees include a $530 charge to cancel existing approvals for houses and dual occupancies ($1,140 for all other types), and a major fee linked to the upcoming planning scheme.
If an applicant wants to extend a development approval to apply under a different scheme, they’ll be charged 25 per cent of the application cost — or $4,935, whichever is higher.
Council says the new and updated fees reflect a focus on cost recovery and are shaped by industry feedback.
It is one of several revenue strategies expected to help shape the upcoming budget, due mid-year.