Western Echo Column July
09 July, 2008
Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
Western Echo Column July
Am I getting fair value for my rates
Each year around budget time the inevitable occurs and general rates are reviewed and increased. Over the past four years the Lord Mayor has adhered to his promise to keep the average rate increase to the rate of inflation. Before the budget was brought down he was informed by his officers that the money that was needed to be spent on the suburban road network was $1.25 billion dollars. Based on that figure rates obviously needed to be increase.
Brisbane City Council calculate rates on the unimproved value of your property which is determined by the State Government . So that there is not a dramatic increase in rates Council first averages over three years the valuation, so for instance, in my case for the last three years my property has been valued at $400k, $400 and $410K and the rates are valued on an averaging of that three year figure. This year my valuation has gone up to $600K which, if this figure was not averaged over three years, there would be a dramatic increase in my rate notice. Regardless of the averaging some properties can see an increase of 15% or 16%. However Council has determined that no rate increase is greater than 10% and they do that by showing a remission on your rate notice.
Most of us when we receive our rate notices look at the bottom line and understand that there are charges for water, waste and sewerage plus an environment and bushland levy which is charged equitably to all residential properties albeit owner occupier or investment. This year my total rate bill will be close to $2,100 a year. The general rates component of that bill will be somewhere in the vicinity of $1,000. The question is what do I get for that?
This year the Lord Mayor has handed down a $2.66 billion budget including a capital spend of over $917.5 million dollars. To put this into perspective in 1997 the total budget of the council was $1 billion dollars with a capital spend of $402 million. This budget delivers on his election commitment to address traffic congestion and to continue building an effective transport system.
In his budget speech he stated “Brisbane needs record numbers of buses and record roads funding because without it the city will choke to death.”
The key priorities in this budget are
• Fighting traffic congestion
• Protecting and enchancing Brisbane’s environment and
• Boosting basic maintenance across the city and suburbs.
The Moving Brisbane Program will see $864.7 million of capital expenditure which includes $480 million towards roads and public transport infrastructure. The suburban road program is being rolled out under the banner of Road Action Program (RAP). The first 125 new buses of the 500 committed over the next four years will be delivered as well as two new city cats and a new bus depot at Willawong with plans for 2 more. Three new citycat terminals are to be constructed plus $25 million on bikeways.
The calculation for each of the ratepayers for supporting public transport and upgrading of the suburban road intersections which benefit all of the city in alleviating congestion is calculated at close to, this year, at $500 per year. So before we even start to spend any money on any of the other programs half of my rates are spent. The rest is spent across all of the other programs in Council.
This was my first budget experience as a Chairman of Families and Community Services and it was quite an exciting and somewhat daunting experience in delivering three budget programs that I am expected to deliver. These are Your Brisbane, Public Health and Safety and Customer Focus, which includes the Call Centre.
The total budget allocated to these programs with $208.4 million dollars.
Some of the really great initiatives which will benefit all residents are the Neighbourhood Plus Plan to improve suburbs so we will see extra street sweeping, $1.2 million to litter prevention, $1.5 to bring the graffiti removal teams from 7 to 10. Extra grass cutting on road reserve and parks, free personal safety and self-defense seminars in all Wards which will commence in the new year. A task force against Graffiti (TAG) designed to catch vandals in the act. Upgrading of libraries, swimming pools which includes the three new pools to be delivered this year. Planning for a new tennis centre at The Grange. Data Dots is a $3 million program over four years. It is an innovative property identification kit using microscopic labels which carry a unique serial number invisible to the naked eye and can be applied to any item with a spray can or cotton bud. This enables the police to go to pawn shops with a viewing device to see if items are stolen.
There is so much that I would like to talk about within my programs that I intend to write further over the next few months in the Echo about many of the exciting programs that will be rolled out over the next financial year as part of my portfolio.
On my webpage you can access budget details in greater depth. Next month I will talk about The Gap Ward funding.