As a local to Warwick and a home owner in our region for 28 years, I wonder if it is time to move on.
A year ago, my land value tripled after being the same value for 15 years. Then, the rates came in. A 41 per cent increase and a landfill levy jumped from $60 a year to $100 a year. Or 66 percent.
Pre-elections, this was one thing that a lot of candidates said was of big concern, and was a “if I get elected it will be something that we will look into“ speech.
Imagine my suprise to see the rates raised again this year, eliminating Rural Residential rates and combining all into one group based on land value under 175k and over 175k. So once again, the calculations see a minimum rate of $1690 increase to a minimum of $2000.
Guess I’m glad I don’t have to pay the extra 9.25 per cent water, 3.5 per cent waste water, and 3.5 per cent waste increases town people do. Instead, rural people might pay 20k plus for a bore, 3k for a bore pump, plus tanks.
We have multiple tanks to catch as much rainwater as possible and have spent over 10k on them. We also have two water pumps on our tanks to separate bore and tank water. So another 1k for those.
Then there’s the septic systems that need to be pumped out. I’d hate to think what a new septic system would cost these days, but I’d think in excess of 15k. It’s $350 for a pump out. And then our trips to the dump. We load the seven bins that we paid for, as the council doesn’t provide them to rural people, on the trailer every month or two, and make the 20km round trip to the dump to empty.
Now I’ll show you where my $2000 minimum rates get spent according to council fact sheets. They work on every $100 of rate money as a breakdown, so I’ll need to times by 20.
$14 goes to water services, so $280 a year will help towns water infrastructure while I pay for my own. $21 roads and transport. $420 to see a slasher drive by my block twice a year. And when the roads are damaged a two or three year wait to fix them. $15 governance and organisational support. $300 just to pop my rates notice in the mail twice a year. $13 community services and facilities. $260 for I’m not really sure, not many services in the rural areas. $13 waste services (utility) $260 for a dump truck that doesn’t come out here. On top of that $160 waste management levy. $8 sewerage services, $160 to the sewerage network I dont have and pay for my own. $4 environmental services. $80 to go green. I’m an avid gardener and I probably do more for the environment with the amount of plants I’ve planted than council ever would. $4 parks and open spaces. $80 towards parks in towns, when I have my own in my backyard . $4 planning services, economic development, tourism and major events. $80 towards helping bring money to town to boost up businesses in towns. And $4 asset management and disaster management. $80 for council to look after assets they neglect and disasters that occur, that I pay a state government emergency levy of $119. Then, the council put disasters claims in to state government to fix roads that takes three years to do.
So forgive me for being a little bit annoyed that the newly elected Mayor Hamilton and councillors Windle, Ritchers, Deane, Harslett, Pidgeon, all endorsed these increases and changes to the rating categories and are only to happy to let the rural/residential ratepayers take the hit for propping up the maintenance of the towns infrastructure and assets.
I don’t mind contributing rates, but if mine goes up 800-plus in a year, who is going to pump my septic, and fix my pumps when that money is now going to council?
I’m paying for town infrastructure and no one pays for mine. After condemning the prior council for increasing rates last year, and preaching in front of the town hall to get elected and make sure it didn’t happen again, they have now agreed to approve the draft budget after public consultation feedback.
Public consultation via an email to SDRC, because after over six months of budget preparations, they don’t have time for a face to face meeting. Things will never change no matter who gets elected.
Wait until we all start paying for the pipeline to Warwick to supply emergency water in a drought.
What’s ironic is, Mayor Hamilton was very anti Emu Swamp Dam, making it quite clear in her POW blog that ratepayers should not contribute a cent toward ESD for agriculture farmers, even with the council having emergency access to the water.
However she is only to happy for rural/agriculture ratepayers to be contributing to the costs of maintaining towns infrastructure.
Saying it’s only a 2.5 per cent rate increase for most people is wrong when you see a 60 per cent increase in the waste levy and 9.25 per cent water, 3.5 per cent waste water and 3.5 per cent in waste.
I encourage everyone to send your feedback on the draft budget, although we all know the decision is already made.
Donna Cecil, Warwick.
