At last Thursday's Palerang Council meeting in Bungendore the 2007/08 Management Plan and Budget was passed by Council with few amendments, meaning that residential rates are rising around 37%, and with water and sewer charges increasing, the bottom right hand figure that you pay your Council will rise by around $1,000 for the average town residence.
Business ratepayers will incur increases of around 60%.
A petition is now circulating saying that residential and business ratepayers cannot sustain the higher rates and charges.
The petition states that "larger businesses have also been through a tough time. Those dealing with the farming sector have seen the drought erode the livelihoods of their clients and with it their own business income. Others, in the hospitality trade for example, have been similarly affected. To expect these to carry rate levels of nine or ten thousand dollars is not reasonable."
The petition emanated out of the Braidwood and Villages Tourism AGM last week, instigated by the small business operators who felt that the ramification of these charges would impact too heavily on them.
The petition sets out the economic consequences of Palerang Council implementing these increased rate levels, saying that they "will be extremely severe and may well have negative rather than income-generating consequences for the Council."
The petition points out that "closure of main street and other businesses will diminish the commercial rate-base, local expenditure on food, clothing and leisure will fall as hard-pressed families struggle to pay rates rather than have their property taken, or face eviction if their rents increase. Families under stress, as the drought has shown, are families at risk of breakdown," and "Nor can an influx of well-heeled 'sea-changers' be relied upon to snap up empty properties. Already some real estate Agents are reporting that rumours of the forthcoming increases have caused several prospective purchasers to cancel."
"Turning Braidwood into a ghost town of empty shops, repossessed dwellings and stressed or broken households will not increase rates income" it concludes.
The petition calls on Palerang Council not to implement these increases, but also calls on the State Government to take "active steps to help Palerang."
"It is New South Wales that can vote extra funds to the grant budget to help water and sewage projects. We beg them to do this as a matter of urgency.
It was New South Wales that determined the boundaries that removed so much of the eastern rate-base from the area thus making the new Palerang barely financially viable. The State Government cannot stand by and allow this excessive burden to be passed to this small rural community."
A large crowd is expected in the public gallery of the next Palerang Council meeting in Braidwood on July 12th.
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