Rates Committee chairman Les Smith spoke at the Balla Balla Centre on behalf of retirement village residents.
By Bridget Brady
HUNDREDS of residents from Casey retirement village packed the Balla Balla Centre last week to stage a noisy demonstration, demanding rate cuts.
More than 600 residents from 11 retirement villages in Casey attended the historic meeting and revived their 10-year-old message that council rates were too steep.
They have formed a Rates Committee to fight the rates charged by Casey Council.
“This is what you call people power,” one resident called out. “This is only the beginning.”
Rates Committee chairman Les Smith delivered an emotional plea on behalf of the residents and said the council was guilty of “double dipping.”
“The council thinks it’s OK to discriminate against us, instead of helping,” he said.
Mr Smith said residents paid fees within the village for maintenance and tasks other people would normally expect the council to carry out, such as repairs to roads and paths, gutter and drain cleaning, lighting, mini-bus transport “and everything else you can think of.” He said the only service the council provided was to collect rubbish.
“We are not trying to make the case for not paying rates…all we want is justice and a fair go.”
Mr Smith said the design of the villages, with numerous units on a hectare, was another reason why the council received a bonus for the rates they collected.
“There is room for reduction. This is time for somebody to do something about it. We remind you that Casey Council will be judged by the way they look after seniors.”
Mr Smith said the meeting was historic because it was the first time residents from all 11 villages had considered any problem serious enough to warrant that type of action.
Mr Smith said he hoped the new councillors would take up their cause.
Residents invited candidates and councillors to the meeting but were disappointed that most did not show up after saying they would do so.
MP Greg Hunt attended the meeting.
Edna Maher from Fiddlers Green Retirement Village told the News she was disappointed that all of the candidates did not attend. She said she would not vote this year because of it. It is not compulsory for people over the age of 70 to vote.
“This will be the first time ever that I’ve chosen not to vote,” she said.
Edrington Ward councillor Brian Hetherton said it was not an easy thing to reduce rates because a reduction in one place meant rates had to be made up elsewhere.
“But you have the numbers, you have the pressure and the ability,” Cr Hetherton said.
