From time to time, council undertakes an audit of infrastructure charges to determine those applications where infrastructure charges have not been paid.
This includes determining the currency period of each approval, and whether there is any evidence which would suggest that the development has commenced.
When unable to confirm if an approval has commenced, a site inspection is required to further determine which approvals have lapsed, commenced or remain current.
Thereafter, council will carry out a charges recovery project whereby it will issue correspondence to land owners to pay the charges.
First notice
For approvals that council identifies as commenced, it will issue a notice advising the original applicant and/ or land owner of their outstanding levied infrastructure charges payable to council. The notice will include the development approval and charges notice.
It may provide a time frame to arrange payment or details on entering an infrastructure payment agreement.
Second notice
If the matter has not been resolved, council will issue a second notice advising the original applicant and/ or land owner of their outstanding charges.
If full payment is not made within the time frame set out in the correspondence, the unpaid infrastructure charges may be transferred to the property owner’s rates account.