Still rating a mention

THE City of Casey is slowly working toward a long and embroiled battle over its rating system.
The council now uses a uniform rating system based on the capital improved value of properties that is heading for disaster.
Suggestions have been made to introduce a variable rates system for different sectors such as farming, industrial, and vacant residential blocks.
The present system has drawn enormous criticism from people with larger rural holdings, particularly nonproductive properties and properties restricted by heritage and environmental regulations.
Some rural landholders received a 20 per cent increase with their last rate bill.
This creates an intolerable situation for people who are property rich and cash poor and who have lost the underlying value of properties that have been in families for many years.
They suffer because the goal posts were shifted and land once expected to be available for subdivision and a superannuation hedge is now a liability.
One argument has been that these people should sell their properties if they cannot afford the rates.
But it has also been argued that this would push long established families who have given their worth to the community out of our society.
Also, some councillors think that because the storm over the green waste rate has subsided the rate has been accepted, but storms come and go and another is on the way.
The Casey garbage and green waste rating system was clearly an attack on the more affluent part of our community in order to keep household garbage rates in some quarters low.
The charge, a rate on the property in preference to a flat charge, came out of the blue and impacted on people with larger properties who had reacted to government publicity campaigns designed to encourage on property composting and other recycling cultures.
People with established recycling systems were hit with a double whammy.
Council officers have shown a reluctance to change the rating system, something that could lead to a battle royal.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler said during the Tuesday 19 September council meeting: “Probably some councillors don’t understand the rate review report. I know the officers don’t’ support it. They said so in a briefing.”
One officer briefing said the council might have serious concerns with the thrust of the committee’s final report.
The officer briefing said the recommendations would benefit rural residential property owners in an area of the municipality where the capital improved values were significantly higher than the vacant land area.
The rate review committee recommended a 70 per cent reduction in rates on properties in the rural conservation zone and green wedge zones.
Officers in response to this advised the council in a briefing that this substantive reduction would be shifted on to the home buyer and consideration should be given to the matter of whether the council should be considering the generous subsidisation of one ratepayer over another.
However, the officers’ comments may not be favouring one idea over the other because their role is to present options to the councillors and they have not yet made recommendations.
Nevertheless, Cr Butler’s strong view is that already the council rating system is favouring the residential section by imposing high rates on the rural sector.
We have a case of watch this space.