September 24th, 2024Rate cap concerns for councils

Rate capping emerged as a key concern for Victorian councils as the parliamentary inquiry into local government shifted focus to Melbourne’s outer-suburbs earlier this month.

The Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee heard from half of Victoria’s 48 regional and rural councils at public hearings in Camperdown, Bendigo and Traralgon.

In Gippsland, Bass Coast Shire’s CEO Greg Box spoke about the cost pressures impacting their financial sustainability as a high tourism area.

Council representatives also added their voices to calls for a review of the Fair Go Rates system.

East Gippsland and South Gippsland Shires said the rate cap aggravates ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining staff in their municipalities.

They also described the existing disaster relief process as onerous and emphasised the importance of quick access to funding after natural disasters or extreme weather events.

The councils said service delivery is often driven by community expectations, therefore making it difficult to define the scope of local government.