Welcome to the new online presence of Ratepayers Victoria Incorporated. We are an independent and not-for-profit collegiality of ratepayer groups in Victoria (Australia). We are freewill community leaders advocating for better and community centered reforms in local government. We are not lobbyists and other names that many Councils call us, because we publically reveal their inefficacies and non-complainance to good governance and challenge their decisions, hidden party-politics and groupthink influences, actions and accountability when the liveability and integeneration sustainability of local communities are at risk or being compromised. The challenge of any governance work is being the “bad” policeman tracking compliance. However someone got to do this role, in order to help improve the local government sector.
16 May Press Release – Review Findings: Councils’ Financial Management & Rating Practices
Reply
A Press Release has been issued to highlight the major concerns discovered in the review of several councils’ financial management and rating practices. A recent April 2012 audit report on council’s performance reporting practices is currently available on the VAGO webpage and the issues reported also impact rate pricing and confirm some of our investigation findings. Also see pages inquiry projects and election matters.
Carbon Tax, Rate Hikes & Dodgy Road Repairs
More cost drivers and another excuse for increasing rates in 2013/14 – read more …
Challenge your parking fines
Watch this Seven 7 News video – The rebel parking cop and challenging parking fines ! Shame on Councils who require their parking officers to meet quotas and using parking fines as a new source of revenue raising! And the greed does further when Melboourne Council invests in technology to raise even more $ – read Mayor doubts parking ticket technology, but forget about a refund.
Should the number of councils be cut?
Watch this video to find out more…. “The issue of local government amalgamation is back on the table following a call by the Chair of the Bank of Melbourne, Elizabeth Proust, to slash the number of councils in Melbourne from 31 to one….” click here to read more.
March Newsletter release
Click here to access.
Sick City Planning
City planning is one contentious service that ratepayers understand first hand, especially during Melbourne 2030 days. Monash is one of the 10% of municipals with the lowest open space facilities for its residents and its planning dept is doing nothing to benefit the health of the community as it continues to increase developments in the city. According to The Age, city planners are making people sick because of their shortsighted planning… read more
Another Council blunder – patchy jobs
Have you experience similar situations like in Patchy jobs – video about “workers resurfaced an entire road except for where one car was parked – and left ratepayers to foot the bill for the crew to return and finish the job.” Another case of lacking accountability for operating efficacy, which will contribute to rate increases.
Beware: Another lame excuse coming to bump up rates further
Senator Barnaby Joyce – Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water; Leader of the Nationals in the Senate
Duplicated from his homepage:
Carbon tax to hit local government rates too
The carbon tax is a broad-based consumption tax delivered to every household and business via their power points. If you own a toaster, you pay the tax. If you put out a garbage bin on a Tuesday night, you are going to pay the tax. If you have a street light out the front of your house, you are going to pay the tax.
Apparently, just the imminent introduction of the tax has had an impact, since they have announced it we have had one of our coldest summers on record and it hasn’t stopped raining. I imagine that once it has been introduced we will go into a diluvium freeze.
Local governments will be hit by the tax too through higher electricity prices and higher landfill costs, said Senator Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Local Government, today.
The Herald Sun reports today that ratepayers in Victoria will be hit with an increase in their rates of up to 3 per cent because of the carbon tax. Providing street lighting and removing rubbish and waste are core local government responsibilities and they will all be more expensive because of this tax.
Frankston Council is set to increase rates by 3.5 per cent due to the carbon tax and a small landfill levy, and the City of Whittlesea expects the tax to raise rates by 1.5 per cent.
The Brisbane City Council has already warned that rates will have to go up by 2%, the Dubbo City Council has estimated that its power bill alone will increase by $500,000, while the Tamworth Regional Council estimates an impact on their electricity bill of $300,000.
Just like any business, local governments will have to pass these costs on in the form of higher rates. I am sure everyone will be thankful for the carbon tax next time they get their rates notice.
Ratepayers across the country will be rightly demanding, why must we pay a tax that we didn’t vote for and that which won’t change the temperature outside?
1 March 2012
More information-Matthew Canavan 0458 709433
External Publications
For the latest news from Sunshine, click here
The constitutional recognition of local government is one that is consider a financial relationship withAustralia and State Governments – Click here for the final report.
Manipulated community consultations – understand how it is done.
Click here to find out more. 