$10m in rates missing

By Casey Neill
RATEPAYERS owe local councils more than $10 million in overdue rates.
Shire of Yarra Ranges corporate services director Rebecca McKenzie said the council had recently issued more than 4000 final rates notices.
The figure equates to 6.8 per cent of the 60,000 rateable properties within the shire and a $6.1 million bill.
“We expect a significant proportion of outstanding rates will be paid over the coming weeks,” Ms McKenzie said.
She said flexible payment options were available to ease the financial squeeze.
“We encourage people experiencing legitimate financial difficulties to contact us,” she said.
“This provides us with an opportunity to work with them to tailer a repayment plan that caters for their needs.”
Knox Council issued 4739 overdue rates notices in March. Eight per cent of its 60,638 ratepayers currently have an outstanding balance, including residential, commercial and industrial properties.
More than half of Knox’s ratepayers took up the council’s instalment payment plan this year.
The remaining 29,881 elected to pay their rates in full. This payment was due by 16 February.
Knox Ratepayers Association spokeswoman Lenette Griffin said the council was placing too great a burden on ratepayers.
”It is simply unrealistic to expect that rates can continuously be increased without significant strain on the finances of families, particularly in light of this current global economic slide,” she said.
Ms Griffin said debt was increasing with rising unemployment and increased taxes.
“With a new rating season looming, the percentage of overdue rates will go even higher,” she said.
Cardinia Shire Council spokesman Paul Dunlop said more people had paid their rates on time this year than in 2008, but $1.3 million remained outstanding.
“Council envisages most of this will be collected in the coming months,” he said.
Mr Dunlop said it did not appear there were more people having difficulty paying rates.
“Having said that, we are mindful that the global financial crisis will have an impact in Cardinia Shire and council is taking steps to support ratepayers,” he said.
The council has proposed several assistance initiatives in their 2009-10 draft budget.