Rate rise to save environment
Mon 20 March 2006
Roz Kelly, Journalism
Maroochy residents may face another rate-rise in coming years after council put forward a new plan to protect the famous Sunshine Coast surroundings.
Environment Portfolio Division Three Councillor, Paul Tatton, said the Draft Environment Levy Policy (EL) aimed to respond to current environmental challenges and to cover these costs a rate rise was not out of the question.
“There is a possible increase of the Environment Levy…it has been $30 for so long, it’s about time,” he said.
The levy was first introduced at $20 per rateable property in 1997, three years later it rose to $30 and now, eight years down the track, it has hit $55.
Head of the EL Department, Steve Skull, said a major catalyst for the rise was Maroochy River’s recent “D rating”, one of the lowest ratings obtainable.
“It’s expensive buying land, it’s expensive fixing creeks,” Mr Skull said.
However, he said they haven’t yet calculated the cost of using rates to pay for it but “it’s easier than harassing council to constantly increase the levy”.
Secretary of the West Maroochy Progress Association, Allan Reed, said another rate rise could force people away from the Sunshine Coast.
“How can people afford to live here and keep paying [rates] because a lot are retirees and pensioners,” he said.
Mr Reed said residents pay enough levies and their lifestyle will deteriorate if rates are increased.
“Energex, ambulance, when is it going to stop?” he said.
Cr Tatton said another other option was to borrow money from the Queensland Treasury Commission because they have good interest rates.
Over 700ha of land has been acquired and managed under EL since it began, and as council obtains more, they intend to let the community benefit as much as possible, he said.
Their next project, a new provision under the altered EL, is an environmental education centre and council has its eyes on the Tanawah area.
However, Maroochy Water Watch Catchment Coordinator, Cerran Fawns, said the plan “has a few hairs on it”, and Tanawah won’t be an ideal place for the centre.
“The site doesn’t even have public transport or a creek, it’s only got a billabong…we’ve had plans for a long time, we think Nambour [would be suitable],” she said.
However, Ms Fawns said she hoped the new levy will be more supported than others in the past.
“Some people were adamantly opposed to the $40 user pay annual fee for septic to the point where there were death threats and dog killings,” she said.
Cr Tatton said there should be “a fine balance between purchasing levy lands for the community and the community paying for them”, and will try have rates kept to the bare minimum.
However, he said the tension was due to a lack of information.
“If more people took the time to come to the public consultations, there would be less resistance,” Cr Tatton said.
“The community’s participation in shaping the policy and involvement in the Environment Levy programs will help ensure a sustainable Maroochy Shire.”
Public consultation period ends March 10.
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