Special Rate Variation
Consultation has concluded
Consultation
(Sept 2019 - 10 February 2020)
Update: 3 August 2020
Last year we undertook extensive consultation with our community to address the inconsistency in the amount of rates paid across the former Hurstville and Kogarah City Councils. Our community told us it supported a new single rating system, ensuring fairness for all ratepayers, regardless of location, dwelling or business type.
During the consultation we also sought feedback on a special rate variation to increase the total rate income for our area. There was strong community support for this, recognising the rates we collect from our residents and businesses contribute to the services and facilities we provide to meet community needs.
Council decided in February 2020 to defer the consideration of harmonised rates and a special rate variation while Council investigated cost saving measures.
Council’s budget for 2020/21 includes significant cost saving measures including $9 million worth of operational programs and services, deferral of capital projects, reduction in employee costs and removal of the Councillor Discretionary Ward Fund.
Council is legally obliged to set one rating system for Georges River Council by 1 July 2021. In the coming months we will be asking the community for input on the proposal for the new rate system.
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General Manager Presentation
FAQs – Changes to your rates - Residential and Business
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9 November 2019 - Information Session
- Why are we harmonising rates along with only one other Council?
- Minimum rate – no harmonising, if land value is valued because Hurstville and Kogarah are different? – Percentage above minimum rate? – Confusion over how rates are calculated for land vs minimum rate
- Lack of information on specific rate in the dollar
- Not enough information has been given, all we want to know is how much extra are we going to pay?
- Hurstville vs Kogarah rate – paying double isn’t fair why not meet in the middle e.g. $750?
- Thought that rates determined by the Commonwealth – feeling that Kogarah was working very well but new services have gone downhill
- When you pay household insurance you pay a levy, if you don’t pay insurance, you don’t pay a levy – how is that fair?
- Rates = state government tax
- Self-funded pensioners – there is no incentive under these circumstances
- Questioning the cap, if the population increases the rates increase – need to provide an explanation of this
- Business vs residential – different values
- How come services have gone down – green strip not being serviced? State government – why are business rates less, they want all the roads and services but aren’t paying more than residential
- Will it be the same in other councils? What will their business rates be?
- Council’s income – does that include parking fees? They seem to contribute a huge amount in parking fees.
- Why did we not specify the percentage for minimum rate increase? Can people pay this increase?
- Can council provide the model that determines how the rates for developers are affected by the increase in total rates?
- Does this apply to all charges on the rates notice?
- When we consulted on the CSP, we should have been limited to what council could afford – it seemed to be open-ended
- Do businesses pay the stormwater levy?
- What do childcare services cost (net cost)?
- Can we introduce a more user pays system, especially for more sophisticated facilities e.g. why should all sporting bodies and ratepayers pay for all the new facilities?
- Is Council trying to fill the huge financial hole caused by past decisions e.g. pursuing Oatley bowling club, buying the Oatley childcare centre and discretionary ward grants to outside organisations in other LGA’s e.g. Campsie and Gymea?
- What is the Local Government Association and Georges River Council doing to change the rate pegging?
- Why can’t developer contributions be increased?
- Hasn’t the GRC met the housing quota?
