Unpaid rates each year cause council headache and Bogan Shire Council say they have acted as per council protocol to recoup unpaid money in the best interest of the shire and community. 

Between 6 to 8 % of ratepayers in the Bogan Shire on average each year fail to pay rates, and while this may seem a relatively small amount it still adds up to many thousands of dollars that are unavailable to be utilised by the Council for its day today running and council works in the town and district.  

In a recent sale, Council auctioned off eight properties in an attempt to recoup rates, but only as a last resort according to Bogan Shire General Manager Derek Francis.  

“Selling people’s property at auction is always a last resort, and we don’t take the process lightly. However, we can’t allow long outstanding debt with no arrangement to pay in place – it’s not fair on others who do pay their rates and we need the revenue to sustain our operations,” said Mr. Francis. 

According to a public Facebook post from the Council, the sale included a brick house in Nyngan built in 2000; five blocks of land in Girilambone and two blocks in Coolabah.  

Under the Local Government Act, Councils may sell land if it has rates and charges outstanding for more than five years, or if the value of outstanding rates after at least one year exceeds the value of the land.  

After consideration in June last year, the Council earmarked 27 properties across the shire with unpaid rates and began proceedings.  

Property owners were contacted and given the chance to pay rates or at least set up payment plans to clear the outstanding debts.

While the majority did so, with only two failing to contact council, ultimately 8 properties were listed for auction. 

“If ratepayers whose land was been removed from the list default on the arrangements the properties will progress straight to sale with no further negotiations entered into,” according to Bogan Shire.    

“For any property sold at the auction for more than the amount owing to Council, the surplus after selling costs is returned to the ratepayer (or the mortgage holder if there is one).”