By Eleanor Wilson
A proposed rise in local council rates will be unaffordable for many households in Casey, a residents group says.
Casey Ratepayers Association spokesperson Brendan Browne said the 1.75 per cent rate rise proposed by Casey Council in last week’s 2022-23 draft budget will be a thorn in the flesh for many in the municipality.
“A lot of people will be stressing when they receive their rates notice under this budget,” Mr Browne said.
“For many people, rates are already the single biggest bill for the year. Increasing rates by 1.75 per cent and the garbage charge by 8.5 per cent is a significant increase, that won’t be affordable for so many people.”
Council says waste service charges are levied to recover the costs of Council’s Waste Management services, which are budgeted to increase by 9.3 per cent in 2022-23.
The increase is driven by a multi million dollar increase in State Government garbage and recycling levies.
With Casey being one of the fastest growing municipalities in the state, Mr Browne believes rates paid by current residents will unjustly benefit future populations in the growth corridor.
“What’s happening is that the population of Casey today is being made to pay for future population growth in the outer suburbs,” he said.
“If we look at Bunjil Place as an example, it was built to serve a much larger population and yet it is today’s ratepayers who are footing the bill.”
He said council should be taking advantage of low interest rates, rather than ratepayers, to repay council loans.
“For some reason council is in a mad hurry to repay the huge loan on Bunjil Place in a total of ten years.”
“ It doesn’t make sense to do this when interest rates are low and the cost could be spread over a much larger ratepayer base in ten years’ time.”
The 1.75 per cent rate is a jump from last year’s 1.5 per cent resident rate, but sits in line with the State Government’s cap, which is established each year under the Fair Go Rates System.
The system was introduced by the Victorian Government in 2015 to limit the amount councils can increase their resident rates in a year.
Before the Fair Go Rates system was introduced residents faced an average rate increase of 6 per cent every year.
Casey Council says hardship options are available for ratepayers who are unable to meet rate increases, including deferments and waivers of interest and charges.
