Rate relief options range in north west flooded shires

Options chosen range from full payment of all rates for the January-March quarter to a two-month deferral of rates.

It's the Richmond shire that has opted to provide full rate relief across the board for the third quarter of the financial year, making use of the money left over from the $1m provided by the federal government for carcass disposal.

"We've done it before in drought situations, and it's what the government suggested we do when they made the money available," Richmond mayor John Wharton said.

It will cost around $475,000 to do.

The Cloncurry shire has opted use the remainder of its carcass disposal fund to give a 25 per cent reduction to all ratepayers in the shire excepting the mining industry.

Mayor Greg Campbell said that over a six month rating period that would amount to around the same amount of relief as Richmond was offering its ratepayers over a three-month period, given Cloncurry had a bigger rate base.

Cr Campbell said it would cost $500,000 to do.

The McKinlay shire is not in as fortunate a position, according to mayor Belinda Murphy, who said that given they had 185 properties likely to claim from the carcass disposal fund, one of the larger payouts, there would not be enough money left to assist everyone.

"We will probably only have $94,000 left - we could pay rates for 10 properties with that and not the others," she said. "Council would have to fund the rest and we can't afford that."

It receives $1.556m each six months in rates, which is its cash reserve.

"We can't just pick and choose whose rates to write off - we have legislation to abide by," Cr Murphy said.

She said their priority was using money to get roads fixed and continue normal services, as well as lobby for small business relief, but were able to defer the payment of the upcoming rates bill from April 29 to June 24.

McKinlay ratepayers may yet receive relief, as Cr Murphy said she and fellow councillors were thinking carefully about how to approach rating for the 2019-20 financial year.

As with all affected councils, she said a payment plan could be put in place to pay in instalments and they were open to discussions with people struggling to make their payments.

"If we consider rate relief absolutely essential for our people, I'll ask for it," she said. "But it's a balancing act. A lot of shires remain in drought - do they get waived too?"

Both Flinders and Winton Shire Councils were waiting to see how much money remained in their carcass disposal fund before making rates decisions.

"We feel that will chew up half the $1m but we didn't want to overpromise and underdeliver," Flinders mayor Jane McNamara said.

She added that rate relief was very difficult in a shire where a quarter of ratepayers were in drought, half had been severely flooded and the other quarter were having a good season.

"There are a range of options on the table - we'll examine what the other shires have done and do what best suits Flinders," she said.

A meeting is scheduled for May 1.

Winton mayor Gavin Baskett thought the best part of $650,000 to $700,000 could be used in burying carcasses, after which the money that remained wouldn't be enough to have a massive rate relief impact.

"It's a hard one - everyone has been affected differently," he said.

He and his councillors intend debating the matter at a meeting next Thursday.