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12 December
2016
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5973 6424 or email: team@baysidenews.com.au www.baysidenews.com.au
Rates cap ‘is crazy’
Fiji on mind FRANKSTON teacher Janine Atkinson makes regular trips to Fiji to help villagers living in poverty. See story Page 10. Picture: Gary Sissons
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A SUGGESTION to limit rate rises to 1.5 per cent annually in future led to much debate between Frankston councillors at the latest public council meeting after newly-elected councillor Lillian O’Connor proposed council officers investigate the feasibility of the cap. Councillors voted 7-2 to see a report from officers about a possible 1.5 per cent annual cap in 2017-18 “or other outcomes� to be lodged at a council meeting next year. Cr O’Connor noted annual rate rises in Frankston had not dipped below a state government recommended annual cap of 2.5 per cent in 2015 for the past 16 years. “We need to just only rely on rates for revenue,� she said. “We need to look at other ways of getting revenue. We need to be better and smarter with our money.� Cr Glenn Aitken said rising rates are becoming “very burdensome for a lot of people� because of the region’s mix of wealthy suburbs and less expensive properties. “In Seaford for instance, land valuations have risen quite dramatically. Seaford is seen as a really hot suburb real estate market wise. The sheer reality is there are still a lot of older residents in Seaford and there are many instances, I believe, of people being asset rich and cash poor.� He said single mothers and those with-
out stable employment can struggle with rate rises. “I don’t think there’s any harm whatever in seeing what different rating structures would do to the city’s services and the city’s income.â€? Cr Colin Hampton said capping rate rises at 1.5 per cent each year is “crazy economicsâ€?. “To think that you could reduce the rates in this town to 1.5 per cent ‌ you need also to say what services you’re going to cut to reach that 1.5 per cent [rise].â€? The long-term Labor Party member said he had been critical of the Labor state government’s rate-capping policy. “It’s a policy that will cause this state to run down,â€? Cr Hampton said. He noted 60 per cent of New South Wales councils “went brokeâ€? and the rest “were strugglingâ€? because the NSW state government capped rates. Cr Hampton said council provides more than 100 services to ratepayers with “3 per cent of the total tax revenue in this countryâ€? including school crossing supervisors, animal registration, swimming pools and health services. He said state governments collect 18 per cent of taxes and federal governments 79 per cent of total tax income. “We [councils] are the most costeffective form of government in this country. That is unreservedly true,â€? Cr Hampton said. “And for people to go around and say that they want to reduce the rates [rises] to 1.5 per cent is absolutely crazy.â€? Continued Page 3
CHRISTMAS GIFTS ALL SORTED! Surprise them with Theatre tickets this year. The FAC has something for the whole family in 2017 including: Dylanesque | Grigoryan Brothers | Mr Stink | Dracula | Around the World in 80 Days | Horrible Harriet | The Merchant of Venice and much, much more! Check out WhatsOnFAC.com.au or let them choose themselves with a gift card – that’s Christmas all wrapped up.
03 9784 1060 or thefac.com.au or @the_fac | #thefac Frankston Arts Centre is a business unit of Frankston City Council