27 May 2020
At Wednesday’s 27 May General Council Meeting, Councillors voted to adopt the Rural Water Tank Rebate Policy, which makes rebates available for residents not connected to town water.
At the February 19 2020 General Council Meeting, Councillors resolved to allocate $1,050,000 towards providing a water tank rebate to rural landowners. These funds have been allocated in Council’s 2020/2021 budget and eligibility criteria have been developed. The rural water tank rebate will involve a different application and approval process than previous water tank rebates for residents connected to town water.
Council expects that the demand for this rebate will exceed the $1,050,000 of funds available and will therefore run an expression of interest process, followed by a ballot of eligible applications, should applications exceed available funding.
Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Vic Pennisi said that the prospect of a rural tank rebate is expected to be very popular and urged residents to familiarise themselves with the application process before making tank purchases.
“If residents wish to take advantage of the rebate and increase their domestic water storage capacity, they shouldn’t rush out and buy a tank first; they will need to submit an expression of interest form first”.
“Once the expression of interest period closes, all eligible applications will be collated and if the total number received exceeds the available budget, a ballot will be undertaken to select the successful applicants. Written approval will be provided to successful applicants who can then purchase a water tank and arrange installation, with the assurance they are approved to receive the rebate”.
“The Rural Water Tank Rebate is provided to assist as many rural residents as possible increase their domestic water storage capacity and help to drought-proof their properties. The last thing we want is for residents to rush out and buy a tank only to find out they haven’t been approved to receive the rebate. I ask residents to follow the process and wait to see if their expression of interest is approved before ordering or purchasing their tank”.
The expression of interest process will open in the coming weeks with further information to be provided on Council’s website, through media releases and via social media. Council’s Rural Water Tank Rebate Policy can be found on Council’s web site at www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/policies-and-procedures, along with a Frequently Asked Questions fact sheet.
Please contact Council if you have any questions and stay up to date with the latest information by visiting www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/news, by following Southern Downs Regional Council on Facebook, by subscribing to the SDRC eNewsletter, or by phoning 1300 697 372.
Funding for the Rural Water Tank Rebate Policy comes from funding allocated to Southern Downs Regional Council as part of the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Exceptional Assistance Immediate Support Package, delivered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
Residents can find a copy of all Council meeting agendas and minutes on the SDRC website.