In a world where the call for environmental conservation rings louder, local governments are trying to balance sustainability with public satisfaction.

The latest move by a city council, however, has left residents feeling more than disgruntled.

In an attempt to conserve paper, the Brisbane City Council recently introduced a $1.98 paper rate.

This fee could apply to homeowners who prefer to receive their rate notices via traditional mail.

The introduced rate should encourage ratepayers to register their email addresses and receive their bills online free of charge.

Ms Warren believed that the imposed paper fee should be retracted, hence the petition. Image Credit: Change.org/Ava Warren

According to the Brisbane City Council's website, the switch to paperless billing was a way to keep the city 'liveable and sustainable'.

The council deemed the fee as a necessary measure to 'cover the additional costs involved when issuing physical rate notices'.

Apart from the digital billing, the council started offering free SMS reminders to ensure residents don't miss their due dates.

However, the council's push for this eco-friendly initiative met criticism.

Brisbane resident Ava Warren took a stand against this fee.

Ms Warren labelled the fee as 'rubbish' and launched a petition to have it removed.

'The Brisbane public was not consulted on this, and it is another clear example of politicians screwing over the general public under the mask of saving the environment,' Ms Warren lamented.

'Once again, this is pushing the responsibility onto average households rather than big corporations.'

She also raised concerns about potential security breaches and cited recent data breaches that happened to Optus and Medibank.

Despite the council's efforts to promote the paper rate, Ms Warren's petition has already garnered numerous signatures.

This indicated a possible disconnect between the council's environmental goals and the community's readiness to embrace changes imposed by the council.

Other major Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne offer both email and postal notices without additional fees.

These comparisons raised questions about the necessity of Brisbane's approach.

As of writing, the Brisbane City Council has yet to comment on the matter.

Key Takeaways

• The Brisbane City Council introduced a $1.98 fee for paper notices, which caused outrage among residents.
• The fee aimed to encourage ratepayers to switch to free digital billing and asserted that the fee should cover the extra cost of physical notices.
• Brisbane local Ava Warren launched a petition against the fee. She claimed that it unfairly shifted the responsibility of environmental conservation onto average households.
• Other Australian city councils offer both digital and postal notices without fees, which raised concerns about Brisbane's approach.

Have you faced similar fees or charges in your local community? Are these measures fair, or do they place an undue burden on the community? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

 

[Veggiepatch]

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021), there are 8120 private dwellings in the Brisbane LGA Giving a wildly inflated estimate of each yearly paper notice weighing 50 grams, a humungous total of 406 kgs of paper will be "saved"!

Whoopee f**king do! That'll save the 1.95 million hectares of commercial plantations currently in Australia. That huge total of 406 kgs would equate to a few trees!

Brisbane City Council is full of shit, like every other council in this country!

 

[Reet]

I get fed up with our local council constantly putting up the rates and immediately afterwards they vote themselves extra fees. Another thing they do is neglect to repair the roads but outside their depot the road is kept perfectly smooth. Just a hundred yards away there are heaps of pot holes.

 

[Reet]

If a politician and tax inspector were about to be burnt to death in a fire, and you could only save one of them, would you make a cup of coffee or take a nap?

 

[Veggiepatch]

If a politician and tax inspector were about to be burnt to death in a fire, and you could only save one of them, would you make a cup of coffee or take a nap?

Take a nap. I don't drink coffee!

 

[Keswickian]

This is just another way for large companies to raise more revenue while we, the customers, pay more.

If a company wants to make use of my email address to send their a/cs then they have to pay me for the use of my computer, cost of internet, electricity to run computer, printer/paper/ink so I can print out my a/c so I have a record of what I was charged, my time to search & print. A hard copy of all a/cs is essential so receipt number can be recorded in case of future dispute with the company. I estimate this cost to be $5/account.

There is a case for home office expenses, especially internet subscription, to be tax deductable; especially as all levels of Government and businesses require us to have a computer with internet access for a multitude of purposes.
A printer, paper and ink are unnecessary. My printer seized up years ago and I haven't needed to replace it. I store most documents electronically. On the rare occasions I need a hard copy, I go to Officeworks, library or other.

 

[DLHM]

If a politician and tax inspector were about to be burnt to death in a fire, and you could only save one of them, would you make a cup of coffee or take a nap?

Could I do both?

 

[Veggiepatch]

Often it is the most vulnerable members of society that depend on traditional postal transactional mail. The move to an online only society risks leaving older people, the disabled, rural dwellers and those on low incomes disconnected.

Anybody ever though of this?

 

[Viellarde]

This is not really a new thing in Victoria over the last few years utility companies and other businesses have added a fee if you don’t want your bills sent electronically.

We're talking Local Councils. Consultation before punitive action should be compulsory.

 

[summadale]

Well I’m in a Housing Unit, but I have an argument with Origin Energy. When I signed up I said I wanted a hard copy. Just the other day I got a text message to ask me to change, my reply was a bit brisk! Reason I want hard copy so i can pin it up and know the date To pay. I do put it in my phone too, but memory is not the best. Why should I print a hard copy.

 

[elaine41]

I'm 75 and love getting my bills electronically. Less junk to have to throw away

I don't throw my bills away. After about a year (I keep them that long in case of a dispute), I shred them & they become mulch on my garden. If I don't have these then I will have to buy mulch - just another unnecessary expense.

 

[Cheezil]

This is just another way for large companies to raise more revenue while we, the customers, pay more.

If a company wants to make use of my email address to send their a/cs then they have to pay me for the use of my computer, cost of internet, electricity to run computer, printer/paper/ink so I can print out my a/c so I have a record of what I was charged, my time to search & print. A hard copy of all a/cs is essential so receipt number can be recorded in case of future dispute with the company. I estimate this cost to be $5/account.

And that's probably another reason these companies want paperless too (to discourage disputing when they rip us off)

 

[June E]

This is not really a new thing in Victoria over the last few years utility companies and other businesses have added a fee if you don’t want your bills sent electronically.

Yes QLD too !! Business leaders expect that everyone is a computer whiz ! They really don’t care that some don’t want to learn and use them or just prefer a paper bill. They should not charge extra for something we always had as part of our bills.

 

[Reet]

Often it is the most vulnerable members of society that depend on traditional postal transactional mail. The move to an online only society risks leaving older people, the disabled, rural dwellers and those on low incomes disconnected.

Anybody ever though of this?

Mail in our area takes so long to arrive that often it arrives past the date when rates have to be paid.