Maribyrnong residents fed up with being a “laughing stock” because of the area’s high property rates have called for the council to be dissolved.
The Maribyrnong Residents Action Group (MRAG) staged a rally on Saturday and called on the state government to consider amalgamating Maribyrnong with neighbouring councils to cut costs and spread the burden of disproportionately high residential rates.
MRAG member Robert Wiatrowski told the Weekly the council was too small to stand alone in its present form.
“Either Maribyrnong finds funding and support or acknowledges the fact it is an unviable council.”
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MRAG is seeking to collect 10,000 signatures on a petition calling on the state government to review Maribyrnong’s boundaries in light of the council’s “overbearing and inequitable rate charges” compared with other neighbouring councils.
Mr Wiatrowski said Maribyrnong had the highest residential rate base of all of Melbourne’s inner city metropolitan councils, with some residents paying more than $4500 a year. He suggested the government could follow Brisbane’s lead and create a “super-council”, absorbing the 31 metropolitan councils.
“We have compared our rates with those of people in neighbouring councils and in high-end examples our rates are almost double those of residents with comparable property values in, for example, the city of Moonee Valley,” Mr Wiatrowski said.
MRAG has criticised poor return for the high rates, citing poor roads, lack of quality parks, worsening traffic congestion and a lack of strategies to tackle high crime rates.
Fellow resident and MRAG member Brett Woods said Maribyrnong was too small in terms of population and the number of residential properties to support a fair rate structure. “Maribyrnong council’s high rate charges must be even more stressful for lower- income homeowners, such as pensioners, who may be asset rich but cash poor.”
Maribyrnong mayor Grant Miles said there was no official council position supporting any council merger, but he was “in favour” of merging Maribyrnong with Hobsons Bay.
“Maribyrnong has the smallest population in Melbourne at about 79,000 people and Hobsons Bay the second-smallest at around 85,000.
“The two councils merged would still be smaller than our other neighbour, Brimbank, which has about 180,000 people.”
Cr Miles said the gain in efficiencies could reduce rates for residents, but he was against a merger of all metropolitan councils.
» Visit facebook.com/MaribyrnongRAG or email residentsactiongroup3032@gmail.com
