Logan, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Mackay Pensioner Rates Concessions

Regional Council Concessions Vary Widely

If you are a pensioner living in Logan, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, or Mackay, the statewide Queensland Pensioner Rate Subsidy applies to you the same as it does in Brisbane — a 20% discount on gross council rates, capped at $200 per year. But the local council remission that sits on top of the state subsidy is set independently by each council, and the amounts differ significantly.

Here is what each council provides and how the application works.

Logan City Council

Logan City Council, covering the suburbs between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, provides a local pensioner remission on top of the $200 state subsidy. The council sets its remission amount each year in its Revenue Statement.

Logan uses the standard Queensland application process: complete the council's pensioner rate concession form, provide your PCC or DVA Gold Card details, and sign the CCeS consent for electronic verification with Services Australia. Applications can be submitted online, by mail, or at the council's administration centre.

Logan falls within South East Queensland, but water and wastewater are provided and billed by Logan City Council, not Urban Utilities. Logan's pensioner concession page lists a state water subsidy of up to $120 per year; check Logan City Council's current application instructions for the water component.

Bundaberg Regional Council

Bundaberg Regional Council provides a pensioner concession under its operational policy adopted alongside each year's budget. The council offers a percentage-based remission on general rates, with the exact cap set in the annual Revenue Statement.

Bundaberg's policy follows the standard Queensland framework under the Local Government Regulation 2012. Qualifying cards are the Centrelink PCC and DVA Gold Card. The application process is the same: complete the form, provide card details, sign the CCeS consent.

Unlike the SEQ councils, Bundaberg manages its own water billing. Check with council whether the pensioner concession covers water and sewerage charges as part of the general rates bundle, or whether a separate water concession application is needed.

Rockhampton Regional Council

Rockhampton Regional Council sets its pensioner remission each year through its Revenue Statement. The council provides a local concession on general rates for PCC and DVA Gold Card holders who own and occupy the property as their principal place of residence.

Rockhampton is outside the SEQ water grid. Water and sewerage services are council-operated, and the pensioner concession may extend to these charges depending on the council's annual budget resolution.

Apply through council customer service or online. The standard CCeS electronic verification applies, and once approved, the concession generally renews automatically each rating year.

Mackay Regional Council

Mackay Regional Council provides a pensioner rate rebate as part of its annual rates and charges framework. The local remission amount is set each year in the Revenue Statement.

Mackay operates its own water services. As with other regional councils, check whether the pensioner concession includes water charges or requires a separate application.

The application process follows the standard Queensland pathway: PCC or DVA Gold Card, owner-occupier of your principal place of residence, CCeS consent for electronic verification.

How Regional Councils Compare

The statewide $200 cap is the same everywhere, but local council remissions produce significant differences in total relief:

• Brisbane can deliver up to $1,550/year for a full pensioner
• Cairns offers a combined $550/year
• Moreton Bay reaches $475/year plus EML discount
• Many regional councils offer $200–$400/year in local remissions

If you are comparing the total cost of living across different Queensland locations — particularly if considering a move — the difference in pensioner rate relief between a generous SEQ council and a smaller regional council can be several hundred dollars per year.

Applying Across All Four Councils

The process is identical in structure:

1. Have your rate notice (assessment number) and PCC or DVA Gold Card
2. Complete the council's pensioner concession application form
3. Sign the CCeS consent section
4. Submit to your council
5. Check your next rate notice for the State Rates Subsidy, Council Pensioner Concession, and Emergency Management Levy Discount line items

If you are moving between councils, the concession does not transfer. You must apply fresh with your new council.

For the full application process across every Queensland council, with document checklists and a rate notice audit tool, see the Queensland Pensioner Rate Subsidy guide.

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