IN 2003, Cardinia Shire was a largely rural municipality with a low budget and no extreme financial pressures. Over the next few years as the State Government realigned the urban growth boundary and reclassified the shire as metropolitan, changes took place and by 2005, council debt had risen to $49.9 million.
The CEO and councillors at the time were determined to continue with a busy borrowing and spending program, while ratepayers were paying a $100 municipal charge in addition to annual rates.
At the November 2005 council election, ratepayers and residents voted to replace three of seven councillors including the mayor, and the CEO left soon afterwards.
In the next budget the $100 levy was removed and the new council resolved some major community issues. However, the debt level was not reduced by much over the next two council terms and we are now seeing the same situation of high debt and increasing council rates, which the current CEO and councillors say ratepayers can afford to pay for the needs of a rapidly expanding growth corridor municipality.
Of course rates at 5.9 per cent will sound better compared to 6.8 per cent last year, but in a property revaluation year this will make little difference, and 5.9 per cent is still too high when nothing above five per cent should be the annual level..
At a special council meeting to launch the 2014 draft budget, councillors referred to “blood, sweat and tears” over continual pressure of population arriving at an overwhelming pace and the urgent need to fund major projects and services, but those crocodile tears mean little when council is too blind to admit that many income earners including those on Centrelink income are struggling to meet general living costs plus rates charged, and that State Government is actually leveraging off the value of ratepayers’ properties by putting extra financial responsibility onto local councils who are expected to provide more services, programs and infrastructure than was ever intended to be their purpose.
Appealing to the Local Government Minister is not likely to achieve anything when the Victorian Auditor-General has said Cardinia Shire Council financial management is doing well and there is no need for the council to be audited. However, there is still time for ratepayers to examine the draft council budget and the foward financial plan, put in a written or verbal submission or talk to their local councillor.
In the meantime property owners and ratepayers will continue to be ripped off until these matters of financial responsibility are resolved. The next council election will be in October 2015, and there is a State Government election in November 2014.
Gloria O’Connor,
Cardinia Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc.
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