REFORMING the rates system in Victoria will be one of my major focuses for 2021.
As we enter the new year, the RateGate campaign is set to ramp up as we lobby the Victorian Government to change a system which has proven to be unfair and inequitable.
As I have said, it is a scandalous injustice that a ratepayer in Mildura with a modest house pays twice or three times the rates of the owner of a million-dollar mansion in Melbourne or Geelong.
Reason Coalition leader Fiona Patten and I have already had positive discussions with Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane and we are confident the Victorian Government is serious about finding ways to alleviate the burden on regional ratepayers.
An online petition launched as part of the RateGate campaign has garnered almost 400 signatures – despite having been launched over the festive season and with limited promotion.
The petition is open until the end of March and we are planning on having pop-up stalls around Mildura – as well as taking it to southern parts of the electorate – in the coming weeks.
Now is the time for all ratepayers to take a stand.
I would urge everyone to get behind this campaign by signing the petition – the more support we have the stronger our voices will be and the pressure will increase on the government to change the system.
There has been positive feedback to the Regional Stakeholder Engagement Team (ReSET) with representatives from the four councils in the Mildura electorate and other business, industry and community members invited to join.
ReSET will be finalised in the next week and our first meeting held soon.
Later this month, the Reason Coalition team will be hitting the road to visit towns in the southern Mallee.
The purpose of the trip is twofold – to take the RateGate campaign to the electorate as well as listening to issues of importance we can use in designing the Reasons for the Regions policy platform.
To sign the RateGate petition go to: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council/petitions/electronic-petitions/view-e-petitions/details/12/303.
