allowing Rockhampton Regional Council to recover more than $1 million in overdue debt. Rockhampton Regional Council has recovered $1.128 million in overdue rates and charges after selling six properties at a public auction held at City Hall on May 14. The auction included five residential properties and one commercial property, with sales ranging from land parcels to houses and a long-vacant hotel.

Under Local Government Association of Queensland guidelines and Queensland legislation, councils can auction residential properties when rates remain unpaid for three years or more, and commercial properties after one year of unpaid charges. Proceeds are used to cover outstanding rates, taxes, and associated fees, with any remaining funds returned to the property owner. Among the notable sales was the former Central Hotel in Koongal, a vandalised two-storey building with ten boarding rooms, which sold to interstate buyers for $218,000 after failing to sell at auction in 2023.

A three-bedroom home in Depot Hill sold for $200,000 to a local buyer seeking more affordable property opportunities outside the conventional real estate market. Rates contribute 69 per cent of Rockhampton Regional Council’s annual budget, highlighting their importance in funding essential services and infrastructure. As of March 2026, 4.32 per cent of the council’s rates remained unpaid.

The 2026 auction was the council’s largest in recent years and reflects a broader trend across central Queensland, where other councils including Isaac and Central Highlands are also using auctions to recover unpaid debts.