Anger rises

We the residents of Kiandra Mews, Hampton Park, are very angry that the City of Casey rates have gone up by 6.3 per cent.
These completely ridiculous rates are just sky-rocketing.
In the past 10 years the rates have gone up by more than 300 per cent.
No one can earn a salary or pension to that level of percentage in a lifetime.
Why must the ratepayers in established areas pay increased rates for newly developed areas.
Instead developers and builders must pay to councils a stipulated amount to cover council rates for 10-15 years thereby there will be no burden on the ratepayers for those years.
Secondly, all council assets – stadiums, parks, ovals, libraries, buildings – have been paid for by the millions and millions of dollars of rate payers’ money.
These assets can be privatised and the money can be used to pay for any investment in community services, thereby lifting the burden of us ratepayers.
We call upon all ratepayers in the City of Casey to fight this ongoing increase in rates every year with no end in sight by refusing to pay your rates until a solution is found.
Last but not least, why do we need 79 councils in this small state of Victoria.
Amalgamate councils to just 10-15 councils. Councils are bleeding residents.
In the City of Casey we have three offices, one CEO, six directors, 26 managers and that’s not counting the mayor, councillors, staff and field personnel.
Also the cars, registration and fuel being paid for by the ratepayer.
If we take into account all personnel in all councils in Victoria, they outnumber the staff and personnel of the Federal and State governments.
Dunstan Girton,
Hampton Park.