Residential rates have risen by an average 1.93 per cent and waste charges by 10 per cent under Hobsons Bay council’s 2021-22 budget, passed last week by a 4-3 majority.
Councillors Peter Hemphill, Pamela Sutton-Legaud and Matt Tyler and mayor Jonathon Marsden voted in favour of the budget while councillors Tony Briffa, Diana Grima and Daria Kellander voted against.
Cr Briffa told last week’s council meeting she supported the budget but not the rate increase.
“I know people are doing it tough,“ she said.
“I was one of those people not long ago … I was on JobKeeper for most of 2020 and for the first three months of 2021.
“It’s been tough living on 60 per cent of your usual salary while feeling the insecurity of where’s your job going, am I going to have this job next month, is the business actually going to survive?
“I know lots of people in the area are suffering.“
Cr Briffa said the rate rise would affect people disproportionately depending on where they lived.
While the average general rate increase across six rating categories was capped at 1.5 per cent, the average residential rate rise is 1.9 per cent with variations depending on property values.
Average residential rates for Altona North will rise by 5.04 per cent, followed by South Kingsville (4.92 per cent), Brooklyn (3.41 per cent), Altona Meadows (3.24 per cent), Laverton (3.16 per cent), Spotswood (1.95 per cent), Altona (1.68 per cent), Williamstown North (1.45 per cent), Williamstown (0.53 per cent) and Newport (0.16 per cent).
A one-off rebate in 2020-21 to even out last year’s 2 per cent rate rise has this year been removed.
An officers’ report to the council states: “It is acknowledged that its removal could be considered to increase the overall rate increase in 2021-22.“
The waste service charge for four bins is $250 standard or $212 for multi-unit dwellings.
Cr Marsden said the budget included a $2 million COVID-19 community support package comprising $1.35 million in targeted rate relief and $650,000 in community program support.
The council’s forecast operational surplus is $31.199 million, including $117.352 in rates and charges during 2021-22 (70 per cent of the council’s revenue).
It proposes to spend $62.089 million on capital works.
Major projects include $5.5 million for the Altona Sports Centre extension in Altona Meadows; $5.2 million for the HD Graham Reserve sports facility development; $3 million for the JT Gray Reserve pavilion in Williamstown North; $2 million for the Blenheim Road community park and public toilet in Newport and $2 million for the Altona foreshore seawall and shared trail from Webb Street to Sargood Street.
Average rates are up 2.86 per cent for residential vacant land, down 0.89 per cent for commercial, up 1.79 per cent for industrial, down 5.33 per cent for petrochemical and up 0.32 per cent for cultural and recreational land.
