About 120 residents of a Williamstown retirement village have joined a statewide push for lower council rates, arguing they already pay fees to village management for internal roads, footpaths, drainage and street lighting.
Jimmy Kane, a resident of The Village Williamstown, said all residents had signed a petition organised by Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV) demanding the state government introduce legislation to force councils to consider fair differential rates under specified guidelines.
Mr Kane said council rates were based on his property value. He would have to pay back a third of the sale price to management when he sold his condominium.
In Parliament last week, western suburbs MP Bernie Finn said residents had “quite a good argument” for a rate reduction of about 25 per cent under section 161 of the Local Government Act 1989, which deals with differential rates.
RRVV president Trevor McPhee said councils had been only too ready to apply a differential rate to pokies venues when it suited their purposes.
“The alternative to this course would be to amend the legislation to make it obligatory for councils to consider whether retirement villages should be rated at a differential rate in accordance with guidelines laid down by the minister, with rights of appeal to VCAT in relation to council decisions,” he said
Hobsons Bay council acting chief executive Natalie Walker said retirement village residents were paying lower rates because their property values were generally lower compared with similar properties outside a village.
She acknowledged retirement villages provided some services, but these were often in addition to existing services provided by the council. “Like all Hobsons Bay residents, those residents who reside in a retirement village are entitled to use many council services and facilities, including roads, footpaths, parks, recreational facilities, street lighting, community care services, meals on wheels and libraries,” Ms Walker said.
“While infrastructure services located in a retirement village are provided by the retirement village, often these services are connected to council’s infrastructure.
“An example of this is where the retirement village’s stormwater and kerbside drainage system flows into council’s stormwater network. I
n this example, council is not relieved of its obligation to provide stormwater infrastructure.”
