Local elections, local say
IT HAS come to my attention that local ratepayers and property owners who do not live permanently in Bass must register directly with Council or be disenfranchised. The SEC refers enquiries to your local council but there is no link or assistance on...
IT HAS come to my attention that local ratepayers and property owners who do not live permanently in Bass must register directly with Council or be disenfranchised. The SEC refers enquiries to your local council but there is no link or assistance on the Bass Coast Website.
I have asked Bass Council for information.
I suspect that many people will be unaware of this.
Analysis of Bass Coast Shire Council’s property rates database found that 74 per cent of residential properties in Bass Coast were owned by individuals or organisations which have a postal address in a different postcode to the dwelling address postcode.
This confirms that a high proportion of dwellings in the municipality are not owner-occupied, and that 44 per cent (11,423) are unoccupied. The 2016 estimate for holiday homes was 9000 homes but the rate is as high as 60 per cent in San Remo and 55 per cent in Inverloch. Clearly this substantial minority should have a say in the actions of local Council.
Robert Taylor, Harmers Haven