Average Band D bills will go up from �762.09 to �795.62

Welsh Local Government Association figures show the average rise will be 4.4%, with the average yearly Band D bills going up by more than �30.

Newport is to see the biggest percentage rise at 5.5%, with Denbighshire the lowest at 2%.

All but one council is increasing bills by more than the rate of inflation.

Welsh Local Government Association leader Derek Vaughan said that while councils had received a "reasonable settlement" from the Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities faced difficulties.

Pressures included the cost of waste disposal, looking after children, special needs education and pensions.

In his own authority area, Neath Port Talbot, Mr Vaughan said energy costs had gone up by 40%.

"All councils want to keep council tax rises as low as possible, unfortunately we all face these huge pressures," said Mr Vaughan.

"Despite that, I think councils have kept them down to the absolute minimum".

COUNCIL TAX RISES 2006-2007 Anglesey 3.6% Blaenau Gwent 5.0% Bridgend 3.8% Caerphilly 4.9% Carmarthenshire 5.0% Cardiff 4.2% Ceredigion 3.0% Conwy 5.0% Denbighshire 2.0% Flintshire 4.8% Gwynedd 4.8% Merthyr Tydfil 3.5% Monmouthshire 3.4% Neath Port Talbot 2.9% Newport 5.5% Pembrokeshire 3.9% Powys 5.0% Rhondda CT 5.0% Swansea 5.0% Torfaen 4.9% Vale of Glamorgan 5.5% Wrexham 3.0% Weighted Wales average 4.4% Source: WLGA

He stressed that the average rise for 2006-7 will be less than that for England, with annual bills in Wales �300 less on average than those in England. The average Band D bills would go up from �762.09 to �795.62.

Councils were also working more closely together on joint areas to save money.

'Reasonable outcome'

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "Average council tax increases of around 4.4% is a reasonable outcome for people who pay council tax across Wales.

"It has been achieved though a real partnership between central and local government.

"The assembly government has provided a good settlement to local authorities and they have worked hard to agree their priorities, put in place good management of resources and meet their responsibilities without excessive council tax increases.

"The local government minister has been determined to establish an approach in Wales which protects council tax payers."

Liberal Democrats assembly leader Mike German said the party had endorsed a commitment to a local income tax during its Welsh conference over the weekend.

"The party membership ... want to axe the unfair council tax. And they want it to be part of our manifesto for the 2007 [assembly] election," he added.

Welsh Conservatives called for the council tax to be brought back to "sustainable levels", claiming it had almost doubled since Labour came to power.

Local government spokesman David Melding said: "Labour has shifted the burden for council tax from central government to local authorities."

Plaid�s local government spokesman Dr Dai Lloyd said council taxpayers across Wales would have to pay for Labour�s "inadequate local government settlement".