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Wednesday July 13, 2011
RATES UP 5%
RATEPAYERS will face an average rate rise of five per cent, confirmed at last Wednesday evening’s Wakefield Regional Council budget meeting. The rate rise equates to two per cent above the inflation rate. Acting chief executive officer, Steve Jonas, clarified it was an average figure, with some ratepayers
incurring more than a five per cent increase, while some may have no increase, depending on the valuation of their property by the Valuer General. “It’s all relative,” Mr Jonas said.
There is also a rate cap in place, preventing rate rises higher than 20 per cent, although Mr Jonas explained it was unlikely anyone would incur a 20 per cent rate rise. “It’s mainly there as a safety net,” he said. The total valuation of the district increased from $1.67 billion to nearly $1.74 billion, an overall increase of about 3.9 per cent.
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Residential valuations rose by 6.3 per cent, commercial and industrial valuations up by 3.9 per cent, primary production also went up by 2.3 per cent, vacant land 5.2 per cent and others 17.7 per cent. Community Wastewater Management Scheme service charges were also set. n CONTINUED PAGE 4
Geoff Sheridan named new acting CEO PAGE 4
The wedding night fright n THIS was enough to set tongues wagging in Owen. Derily Snook as a “groom” and Noel Bubner as the “bride” – and others like Gavin Marshman as the “flower girl”. n It was all in good fun as the Owen community held a “mock wedding” with lots of locals involved as a fundraiser. Unlike most flower girls, Gavin even shaved off his moustache, attached to his upper lip since he was 16 (about 36 years ago). n LOUISE MICHAEL, who took this picture, said the men showed a nice leg and slipped into high heels as if they had been doing it for years!
n THE wedding party (from left), rear: Rodney Reid, John Marshman, Shirley Gameau, writer/director Don Bubner, Colin Hocking and Caroline Trainer. Seated: Phyllis Martin, Jenny Tiller, groom Derily Snook as Snookems Cobbledick, Noel Bubner as bride Nolleen Longbottom, Allan Tiller and Andrew Parker. Front: Page boy Meagan Baker and flowergirl Gavin Marshman. REVIEW: Page 27
Carbon tax ‘bad for rural SA’ says our new Senator NEW Liberal Senator, Clare winemaker and businessman, Sean Edwards, has warned local companies could feel the impact of the new carbon tax. He singled out Balaklava bulk hay exporter Balco as a large local company likely to feel the impact, along with pasta manufacturer and durum wheat purchaser, San Remo. But Balco managing di-
rector, Malcolm May, said the company was not overly fazed, waiting for more detail to emerge before commenting on the carbon tax’s potential impact. “I can’t really comment on it as I don’t know enough about it as far as we are concerned,” he said. “At this stage we haven’t really worried about this sort of hoo-ha because it has all got to settle down yet.”
With electricity costs set to hike 10 per cent at least, Mr May was still confident Balco was in a relatively stable position compared to others. Mr May said Balco used about $300,000 – $400,000 of power annually. “Out here, it (any rise) might be reasonable compared to what some people use in Adelaide,” he said. Before the carbon price
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was announced, Mr May said Balco received advice which indicated it was “a fair distance” from attracting high taxes due to its pollution levels. “We’re a fair few tiers down before they’d look at us – or it would be efficient for us to do something,” he said.
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