Addicted to music Posted August 17, 2017 Author Posted August 17, 2017 Pls don't say "coming" out loud!
Two Flies Posted August 17, 2017 Posted August 17, 2017 $980 900 sm2 block our local council was recently given permission to exceed the normal rates for the next 4 years don't know what it will be
Addicted to music Posted August 14, 2018 Author Posted August 14, 2018 This year: $2489.27. For where I live. and $2177.81 Not happy Jan........
GregWormald Posted August 15, 2018 Posted August 15, 2018 My council was elected on a platform of rationalising spending and lower rates. Rates are up and silly projects are blooming. Politicians lie any time their lips are moving.
christosd Posted August 15, 2018 Posted August 15, 2018 Which council projects Greg? I might be in the same council as you.
Assisi Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 @Addicted to music There are two sides to the issue of Council rates. The issue of Council rates can be a matter of angst for many ratepayers. The rate notice turns up and it is very easy to get a bit upset at the amount. To contrast my annual rates are approximately the same as I pay individually for my health insurance and my house insurance. In one way I do not like any of them but it is part of life. Do you stop to think about that value you potentially receive for the rates you pay? Even if you do not consume a wide range of the available services maybe your family members or friends do. At one level a Council is a cooperative structured to provide services for the overall benefit, wellbeing and lifestyle aspirations of their entire community. Without Councils life would be far less satisfactory. Councils are closer and often more responsive to their respective communities than the Federal or State Governments. How aware are you of the various taxes, duties and other charges you pay to both the Federal and State Government? They would be far far greater than your Council rates. Do you think you get value for what you pay to these Governments? When Councils set their annual budgets, they are required to go through an extensive community consultation process about what is in the budget including projects before final approval. Many Councils could definitely undertake an improved process. Have you ever bothered to participate in the consultation process that your Council undertakes? It can be interesting. Have you ever bothered to read the Council annual report to find out whether you Council has met its performance predictions and if not why not? Councils often stupidly send out with a rate notice a brochure or similar promoting their recent accomplishments. The positives are swamped by the negative of the charges. If your Council is not meeting your expectations and you are really enthused to do something about the situation, you could even stand for election. @GregWormald You would discover as most new Councillors who promise lower rates or similar that life is bit more complex than they naively thought and expected. I have been accused by acquaintance before when I propose the above that I am defending the indefensible. Good luck with your forthcoming election campaign. John 2
GregWormald Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 7 hours ago, christosd said: Which council projects Greg? I might be in the same council as you. I'm in Mitcham--well-known for problems, unfortunately. At the moment they want to put a curfew on cats! Of course the curfew would have to be in the middle of the afternoon, or they'll have to pay the "wardens" overtime to work past 4.30 pm. I imagine that the insurance for wardens walking around private property at night, in the dark, searching for and chasing a wayward kitty would be huge! They also recently widened a couple of the already best suburban streets in my area. The widening was only about 500 mm--so they did 250 mm each side of the street--requiring double surveying, curbs, drainage from the houses, re-making disturbed driveways, etc.
christosd Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 (edited) 58 minutes ago, GregWormald said: I'm in Mitcham--well-known for problems, unfortunately. At the moment they want to put a curfew on cats! Of course the curfew would have to be in the middle of the afternoon, or they'll have to pay the "wardens" overtime to work past 4.30 pm. I imagine that the insurance for wardens walking around private property at night, in the dark, searching for and chasing a wayward kitty would be huge! I thought the 2023 (?) dog and cat management proposal has a plan for owners to confine from dusk to dawn. I think it is a good idea. I have a neighbour's cat that spends nights in our creek and I shudder to think what the native bird kill count is after dusk every night. I like the idea of responsible dog and cat ownership as I like both cats and dogs. Edited August 16, 2018 by christosd dawn to dusk to dawn!
rantan Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 Just now, christosd said: I thought the 2023 (?) dog and cat management proposal has a plan for owners to confine from dawn to dusk. I think it is a good idea. I have a neighbour's cat that spends nights in our creek and I shudder to think what the native bird kill count is after dusk every night. I like the idea of responsible dog and cat ownership as I like both cats and dogs. I could not agree more. We get roaming cats in our yard who kills multiple native birds every week. I really have no idea why cat owners think it is perfectly OK to let their cats wander and kill all the time. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their cat is properly secured every night.
rocky500 Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 1 hour ago, rantan said: I could not agree more. We get roaming cats in our yard who kills multiple native birds every week. I really have no idea why cat owners think it is perfectly OK to let their cats wander and kill all the time. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their cat is properly secured every night. The only thing my cat brings back at night is mice and rats and has done real well over the years.
rantan Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, rocky500 said: The only thing my cat brings back at night is mice and rats and has done real well over the years. The ones around here don't "bring back " anything either. They kill and leave the mess behind. Most cats loose at night are a menace to wildlife. Edited August 16, 2018 by rantan 1
Addicted to music Posted August 16, 2018 Author Posted August 16, 2018 Wyndham Council has always had a cerfew on cats..... https://cms.wyndham.vic.gov.au/generic/file-widget/download/id/5254710/location/residents/home/pets_and_animals/animal_complaints/trespassing_cats/label/Cat_Trespassing_Booklet
Guest Muon N' Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 4 hours ago, christosd said: I thought the 2023 (?) dog and cat management proposal has a plan for owners to confine from dusk to dawn. I think it is a good idea. I have a neighbour's cat that spends nights in our creek and I shudder to think what the native bird kill count is after dusk every night. I like the idea of responsible dog and cat ownership as I like both cats and dogs. Glad dogs were mentioned, some folk don't include dogs thinking them non destructive, but the biggest killer of Koalas on the Gold Coast are Staffies. When I was in the country NSW there was a big problem with some local owned working dogs attacking wildlife, stock animals and pets. They just tore everything apart, killing for the kill. They chewed the backside out of a prize bull owned by one guy.
Addicted to music Posted August 17, 2018 Author Posted August 17, 2018 23 hours ago, Assisi said: @Addicted to music There are two sides to the issue of Council rates. The issue of Council rates can be a matter of angst for many ratepayers. The rate notice turns up and it is very easy to get a bit upset at the amount. To contrast my annual rates are approximately the same as I pay individually for my health insurance and my house insurance. In one way I do not like any of them but it is part of life. Do you stop to think about that value you potentially receive for the rates you pay? Even if you do not consume a wide range of the available services maybe your family members or friends do. At one level a Council is a cooperative structured to provide services for the overall benefit, wellbeing and lifestyle aspirations of their entire community. Without Councils life would be far less satisfactory. Councils are closer and often more responsive to their respective communities than the Federal or State Governments. How aware are you of the various taxes, duties and other charges you pay to both the Federal and State Government? They would be far far greater than your Council rates. Do you think you get value for what you pay to these Governments? When Councils set their annual budgets, they are required to go through an extensive community consultation process about what is in the budget including projects before final approval. Many Councils could definitely undertake an improved process. Have you ever bothered to participate in the consultation process that your Council undertakes? It can be interesting. Have you ever bothered to read the Council annual report to find out whether you Council has met its performance predictions and if not why not? Councils often stupidly send out with a rate notice a brochure or similar promoting their recent accomplishments. The positives are swamped by the negative of the charges. If your Council is not meeting your expectations and you are really enthused to do something about the situation, you could even stand for election. @GregWormald You would discover as most new Councillors who promise lower rates or similar that life is bit more complex than they naively thought and expected. I have been accused by acquaintance before when I propose the above that I am defending the indefensible. Good luck with your forthcoming election campaign. John I find it hard to digest the charges this high especially when the CEO has been poached from another manicipal Council and there is no change in the service we received, especially when the annually salary is more than the current PM. Is that justification in what is required! I’m sure if you fill in for that role that you’d do it for a fraction! For years we have been complaining about roundabout implementations around the area that makes it almost impossible to leave and enter the suburb in Peak hour! Every elected council member and CEO promises that they’d look into it and action it but nothing is ever done. Now on the other side of Melb we have friends who have purchased a 900m2 slanted block so they can build there dream home... out of the norm there Council has enforced rates and elevated them as if you are living on the block! They are given 12mths to build so they can be credited for that 12 mths. Now which builder is going to take less than 12mths to build from get it of the drawing board to when a occupancy certificate is issued!
~Spyne~ Posted August 18, 2018 Posted August 18, 2018 $1912.57 here in Ballarat (5 year old, 4BR house, new'ish estate) 1
comfortablynumb Posted August 19, 2018 Posted August 19, 2018 On 16/08/2018 at 10:51 AM, Assisi said: @Addicted to music There are two sides to the issue of Council rates. The issue of Council rates can be a matter of angst for many ratepayers. The rate notice turns up and it is very easy to get a bit upset at the amount. To contrast my annual rates are approximately the same as I pay individually for my health insurance and my house insurance. In one way I do not like any of them but it is part of life. Do you stop to think about that value you potentially receive for the rates you pay? Even if you do not consume a wide range of the available services maybe your family members or friends do. At one level a Council is a cooperative structured to provide services for the overall benefit, wellbeing and lifestyle aspirations of their entire community. Without Councils life would be far less satisfactory. Councils are closer and often more responsive to their respective communities than the Federal or State Governments. How aware are you of the various taxes, duties and other charges you pay to both the Federal and State Government? They would be far far greater than your Council rates. Do you think you get value for what you pay to these Governments? When Councils set their annual budgets, they are required to go through an extensive community consultation process about what is in the budget including projects before final approval. Many Councils could definitely undertake an improved process. Have you ever bothered to participate in the consultation process that your Council undertakes? It can be interesting. Have you ever bothered to read the Council annual report to find out whether you Council has met its performance predictions and if not why not? Councils often stupidly send out with a rate notice a brochure or similar promoting their recent accomplishments. The positives are swamped by the negative of the charges. If your Council is not meeting your expectations and you are really enthused to do something about the situation, you could even stand for election. @GregWormald You would discover as most new Councillors who promise lower rates or similar that life is bit more complex than they naively thought and expected. I have been accused by acquaintance before when I propose the above that I am defending the indefensible. Good luck with your forthcoming election campaign. John Oh, you mean like the Ipswich council? The one with two Mayors facing corruption charges? Throw in some extortion and money laundering charges too. Plus another 17 councillors and sundry officials. Using taxpayer funded, council owned private businesses to pay for private charter flights to the US, "donations" to exclusive private schools (that their children just happen to attend). Kickbacks to developers who just happen to be "related". And so on. They announced an increase to rates as well. I wonder why? 1
Addicted to music Posted August 19, 2018 Author Posted August 19, 2018 1 hour ago, comfortablynumb said: Oh, you mean like the Ipswich council? The one with two Mayors facing corruption charges? Throw in some extortion and money laundering charges too. Plus another 17 councillors and sundry officials. Using taxpayer funded, council owned private businesses to pay for private charter flights to the US, "donations" to exclusive private schools (that their children just happen to attend). Kickbacks to developers who just happen to be "related". And so on. They announced an increase to rates as well. I wonder why? That’s not all! I was at a friends gathering today and we were sharing decisions wasted on tax payer funded decisions that are an absolute waste. An ex council worker use to be in charge of purchasing... One council will buy X number of top of the line HP laptops withnthe intent of using them for multifunctional purposes, however after the decision was made they scrapped the idea and these brand new Laptops sat in storage.... when there was a new release of an iPhone the CEO and councillors will conveniently almost over night there will be a request of whatever is either broken or claimed to not work! One dept bought X amount of Samsung panels that sat in storage for 3yrs. Once realisation sets in these panels are out of warranty, so brand new unopened still in its original packaging they were sent to an action house! Another typical example is VicRoads charging extra for registration to fund this new beut computer system that’s now being scrapped! The wastage in government dept is absolute amazing!
lusk Posted August 19, 2018 Posted August 19, 2018 9 hours ago, Addicted to music said: That’s not all! I was at a friends gathering today and we were sharing decisions wasted on tax payer funded decisions that are an absolute waste. An ex council worker use to be in charge of purchasing... One council will buy X number of top of the line HP laptops withnthe intent of using them for multifunctional purposes, however after the decision was made they scrapped the idea and these brand new Laptops sat in storage.... when there was a new release of an iPhone the CEO and councillors will conveniently almost over night there will be a request of whatever is either broken or claimed to not work! One dept bought X amount of Samsung panels that sat in storage for 3yrs. Once realisation sets in these panels are out of warranty, so brand new unopened still in its original packaging they were sent to an action house! Another typical example is VicRoads charging extra for registration to fund this new beut computer system that’s now being scrapped! The wastage in government dept is absolute amazing! This will go on forever as government is not accountable. If they were a business they would go broke from their decisions and be replaced by a business more efficient. For a council/government they just tax you more.
brumby Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 Noosa Shire Council We're nowhere near Hastings St or Noosa Sound/Waters etc or Sunshine Beach or the other ritzy areas, we're in Tinbeerwah up the hill from Tewantin on the way to Cooroy One Hectare (10,000 sq m ) on a private road owned by a neighbour but maintained by all five property owners equally by agreement. No water, no road maintenance, no street lighting. We get weekly rubbish pickup (bi weekly green bin), a landline which we only recently began using again for NBN, power which we have cut right down on thanks for 5 Kw of solar panels and that's about it. Council valuation for unimproved land: $280,000 Rates - for six months - $820 - reduced by early pay discount to $792 - consisting of: General Rate $564.34 Waste Bin $140.00 Rural Fire Charge $12.50 Heritage Levy $5.00 Environment Levy $30.00 Sustainable Transport Levy $15.00 State Emergency Management Levy $53.30 That's up just under 5 percent from what we paid a year ago. Not too bad, I reckon, but there's no telling when the council will decide they need more. 1
GregWormald Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 5 hours ago, lusk said: This will go on forever as government is not accountable. If they were a business they would go broke from their decisions and be replaced by a business more efficient. For a council/government they just tax you more. Not quite true--unfortunately. Business just applies for government grants, tax relief, etc. Failing that they move overseas, buy our resources at cut-rate prices, and then charge what they want for services and products.
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