By BRIDGET COOK
TWO Hampton Park residents have started a petition opposing the Casey rate rise.
Last week the City of Casey approved a rate rise of 6.3 per cent when it adopted its 2014-’15 Budget.
Louis Kotsiras and Dunstan Girton have begun collecting signatures against the increase and have urged other members of the community to join them in their rates revolt.
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett has defended the increase, saying that Casey has the second-lowest rates per capita in outer metropolitan Melbourne, indicating that despite the general rate and waste increase, residents continued to receive value for money.
Mr Girton said they had collected more than 75 signatures so far and planned to take it further.
He said they were urging the council not to go ahead with the Casey Cultural Precinct project, and instead use the money to decrease their rates.
“This money can be put to better use in the reduction of rates,” he said.
“We have suggested that ratepayers form groups in suburbs to combat the ever-increasing rates.
“We must lobby the State Government to open regional state offices in Victoria to look after the local community, thereby abolishing councils once and for all.
“It is about time all ratepayers all over the country wake up and challenge the functioning of councils.”
Mr Girton said he believed councils could take a number of steps to reduce rates.
“To add money into the coffers of the council they must reduce staff,” he said.
“Sell or privatise unused buildings, ovals, stadiums and halls at the discretion of the local community, as these belong to the ratepayers.
“Developers and builders for newly-built areas should pay a fee to council.
“This will help ratepayers in established areas from being penalised with rate increases year in, year out. The only service that we get in established areas is the collection of garbage.”
Cr Ablett said the 6.3 per cent increase, which equates to less than an average of $2 per week, was required to provide the services and infrastructure residents expected.
“Casey is a growing community with over 120 people moving in each week,” he said.
“Responding to growth of this rate is a challenge other councils do not need to consider.
“Rates are invested into funding infrastructure in Casey’s new estates, and updating older infrastructure in the more established communities.
“This year, council also had financial pressures imposed on it including soaring utility costs such as water, streetlighting and higher insurance costs.
The City of Casey has been working hard to reduce the burden on ratepayers.”
Cr Ablett said the council would not stop their investment into community facilities, parks and roads and would continue to provide a wide range of services to support residents across the entire lifespan.
“This includes maternal and child health checks for babies, kindergarten services for children, entertainment and support for young people and services to help our older residents remain independent in their homes,” he said.
