Unholy rates row

Pastor Phil Cayzer at Turning Point Church in Cranourne South. 159903 Picture: GARY SISSONS

By Victoria Stone-Meadows

THE Turning Point Church in Cranbourne South is leading the charge against a rate hike for places of worship in the City of Casey.
Churches and other places of worship were, until recently, considered community organisations and had a rates bill compared to businesses or residential premises.
Pastor Phil Cayzer of Turning Point church said that changed in June when Casey Council passed a change to their rates policy that has seen rates for places of worship increase threefold.
“For many years, churches have been identified by council as part of the community,” he said.
“Council has changed the policy to say the church is not part of community anymore.”
Pastor Cayzer said he was very disappointed in the view council had taken with this change, and the lack of consultation with the churches in the area.
“Churches or other places of worship not being viewed as community places by council really disappoints us,” he said.
“At least six or eight churches have called me because they are all affected and this is just ones in Cranbourne that have contacted me.
The Casey Pastors Network and the Cranbourne Christian Ministers Association were not given any notice of the change in policy until a letter was sent out on Friday 23 September.
“None of the people in those groups had any prior knowledge and both groups have written letters to council as all of us have been taken by shock,” Pastor Cayzer said.
The Turning Point Church currently hires three halls from the council and with the rate increase, the cost of that hire will increase as well.
The church has been forced to reconsider the level of community support they can afford to provide to people.
“We run one of the largest food relief and feeding programs in the council; we also offer free counselling and financial counselling,” Pastor Cayzer said.
“Yet our local council has decided we are not supportive or part of the community.”
“The simple thing is, we have limited funding so we either have to pay more for rent or close programs or lower the amount of money we can put towards events.”
Mayfield Ward councillor Amanda Stapledon said she tried to change this decision before the council entered caretaker mode for the upcoming elections.
“We were to continue to have community rates for churches – I did identify a discrepancy in what the officers put forward but the policy went forward without that change,” she said.
“It’s wrong and we are trying to fix it.”
Cr Stapledon said the policy was never intended to change the community rates status of places of worship in the City of Casey and is confident it will be rectified by the new council.
“It has gone through without the change and we want to put that back to where it needs to be,” she said.
“It all depends on who is elected at this stage but no-one in their right mind would say no to changing it back.
“Churches and places of worship should not be expected meet those rates.”
While the council is in caretaker mode, Cr Stapledon confirmed council officers were working with the churches to have the issue sorted out by the end of November.