LIKE many community members, I’m feeling the impacts of increased cost-of-living pressures.

Inflation and increases in taxes and charges have made many everyday essential items so much more expensive.

And it could be that Bass Coast Shire Council is preparing to add its own further impost onto the financial challenges already faced by ratepayers.

Responding to a public question at last week’s meeting, Councillors reaffirmed that they are not planning to advocate for the continuation of rate capping. Instead, their CEO bemoaned Council’s own 
ability to keep pace with rising costs. 

I believe it likely the CEO and senior bureaucrats are softening up our elected representatives for a bigger rate hike.

Rate capping legislation was introduced to put an end to Councils’ gouging ratepayers. 

The Minister at the time was quoted, saying, “Councils need to put a stop to over-the-top executive pay rises and needless waste”.

It’s worth remembering that prior to the introduction of rate capping, the previous Bass Coast Shire Council increased residential rates by an average of four times the inflation rate in each of its first three years. 

And had it not been for rate capping, Council’s gouging would have continued beyond 2015 as their long-term financial plan sought average rate increases of 4.7 per cent, nearly double the 2016 cap of 2.5 per cent.

So rather than simply seeking a return to the lazy option of gouging ratepayers, our Councillors should now be more financially disciplined, and they should instruct their CEO to maintain strict financial efficiency within the declared rate cap.

In the interest of their constituents during these difficult economic times, all our Councillors should be loudly advocating for the continuation of rate capping.

Kevin Griffin, Wonthaggi