MILDURA Council will consider backing Member for Mildura Ali Cupper’s “RateGate” campaign which is pushing for reform to the current statewide rating system.
At their monthly meeting on Wednesday, councillors will be recommended to provide “in principle support” to the cause which aims to to introduce permanent, structural reform to address the disparity between the cost of regional and metropolitan council rates.
In a report to be tabled at the meeting, council corporate general manager Chris Parham said that despite the rigour and precision applied in determining councils and their boundaries, substantial geographic, demographic and economic differences exist, and would always exist.
“These inherent structural characteristics such as population size, population density, remoteness, social indicators and community income levels determine the community capacity to pay and therefore council financial sustainability,” Mr Parham said.
He said the “RateGate” campaign came off the back of a Statewide Rating Review outcomes which provided an opportunity for structural reform of the current system.
However, he said substantial reform to equalise rating did not eventuate in the recommendations of the report.
“This report seeks council in principle support of the Member for Mildura Ali Cupper to push for this reform to occur,” Mr Parham said.
“The methods for rating reform would need to be explored in detail as additional information becomes available.”
Councillors have been recommended to provide in principle support to Ms Cupper’s “RateGate” campaign and add its support to the e-petition “Address the financial sustainability of rural councils” established for that purpose.
