UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.
UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.
UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.
- Despite the extra costs each year we see a decline of services in the municipality
- Less parking availability
- More expensive parking fees and fines
- Shopping strips becoming dead zones
- An increase in the homeless and drug affected in the streets
- Represent the community
- Promote fiscal responsibility and
- Demand ratepayer funds are used for local Council services and amenity
- sustainable from a financial point of view, so residents of all means can continue to live in our great community
- and that they enhance the liveability of our suburb
- represent the community
- promote fiscal responsibility and
- demand that precious ratepayer funds are used for local council business
We say - cut rates for seniors, not force them out of their homes or into debt.
There are many residents in Port Phillip, like Tanya*, who face the nightmare of Council demanding exorbitant rates from them knowing that with a small fixed income or pension they will never be able to pay. In most cases, these residents are simply the innocent victims of overspending councils and unaffordable rates.
As example, in 1983 when Adrian bought his first home in Middle Park the rates were $500 per annum. Now they are $5000 but the level of services has not substantially increased. Council’s solution to these struggling residents is to reverse mortgage their property to the council or sell and move elsewhere. Council then has a caveat on their homes.
The measly ‘help’ council provides to those on a pension card
Many retired residents in Port Phillip are stalwarts of their communities. Many were born and bred in the areas they now live and are proud to call our suburbs home. When council relentlessly increases rates to levels not seen in other parts of Melbourne, questions must be asked about the fairness of a rates system that forces the elderly to reverse mortgage their homes.
The current high level of Port Phillip rates is adding needless stress to our senior citizens in an already stressful year. They just want to quietly live out their lives, on their fixed incomes, in the homes that they raised their families in.
WE SAY- we should not tolerate this appalling treatment of our senior citizens and we demand that rates for seniors should be cut. Council spend millions every year on frivolous ideologically inspired projects that wastes millions of our dollars and only increases the pressure for those who are retired. With almost 42% of all Council income being spent on employing between 800-900 council public servants, many more than neighbouring councils, one reason for our high rates is evident. Many seem to exist to endlessly write reports and are not directly involved in providing services. This is a massive self-serving bureaucracy that has much room for efficiencies and improved productivity so we can better look after vulnerable people in our community. Real charity should begin with our elderly ratepayers who are long-term residents of the City of Port Phillip.
Shame on our Councillors and our Council for putting our residents into debt.
*Tanya’s story is real and is one echoed throughout Port Phillip but her name and face has been changed to protect her identity. Council provides retirees with the option to defer payment of their rates until their properties are sold at which time, they collect the unpaid rates plus interest of 5% p.a. which is effectively a reverse mortgage.
Council have published their Draft 2021-22 Budget for community consultation. If you are concerned about Council’s plan to increase rates yet again and you have not already done so, please contact the following Councillors and ask them to not to increase rates in the 2021-22 Budget when they vote on the motion on 23rd June.
- Cr Baxter
Tim.Baxter@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0466 495 250 - Cr Copsey
Katherine.Copsey@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0466 478 949 - Mayor Crawford
Louise.Crawford@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0466 514 643 - Cr Cunsolo
Heather.Cunsolo@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0466 227 014 - Cr Martin
Peter.Martin@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0435 390 821
Only four Councillors have publicly stated they support a rates freeze. They are:
- Cr Bond
Andrew.Bond@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0481 034 028 - Cr Clarke
Rhonda.Clark@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0435 098 738 - Cr Pearl
Marcus.Pearl@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0466 448 272 - Cr Sirakoff
Christina.Sirakoff@portphillip.vic.gov.au
0435 419 930
What else should you know?
We believe Council must become more efficient in delivering services to our community. We are told by Council that a rate freeze means services must be cut but we say Council does not need to prepare reports that nobody wants or reads. Writing a report that is 200 or 300 pages long that nobody reads is not a service. If Councillors vote in favour of a rate freeze then the CEO and his team will need to identify efficiencies rather than cut services. Port Phillip Council denies there is a rate problem in Port Phillip, but ratepayers are only painfully aware they are paying twice, three or more times the rates paid for properties of similar value in neighbouring Councils. Council uses average rates to benchmark Port Phillip to other Councils, but average rates are misleading and deceptive because we have a much higher ratio of units / apartments to houses and that skews to average towards a lower number.
Refer to Fact Check at https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.
Gasworks Arts Park has sixteen resident visual artists and a small team of professional staff who work to present an annual program of festivals and events including seasons with some of Melbourne’s prominent arts festivals, farmers’ markets, classes and workshops, creative and professional development opportunities for artists, children’s programming and more. In addition, over 200 performing arts events and 30 visual arts exhibitions are presented in the venue each year.
Gasworks is situated in Albert Park, Melbourne, on the site of the former South Melbourne Gas Plant. It is three kilometres from the CBD and the precinct houses four hectares of park, two theatres, three gallery spaces, a café, as well as function and workshop spaces.
Whats On https://www.gasworks.org.au/whats-on
Google Map Ref: -37.843317, 144.946260
They regularly seek applications from artists and curators to apply for group or solo exhibitions and give preference to .artists and curators living and working in the City of Port Phillip.
"The land where Linden New Art now stands was purchased in 1870 by Jewish immigrant Moritz Michaelis (1820-1902). The Victorian mansion was built in 1871 by notable architect, Alfred Friedrich Kursteiner (1829-1897) and the surrounding gardens were designed by landscape gardener and botanist, William Guilfoyle (1840-1912), who also famously designed Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Michaelis named the home Linden meaning ‘Lime Tree’ in German." - https://www.lindenarts.org/about-us/
"We are not just athletes. We are people after all, and sometimes you have to take a step back," said American gymnast Simone Biles on Tuesday as she left the arena of the Tokyo Olympics.
This Wednesday, Biles also resigned from competing in the first individual artistic gymnastics final in Tokyo 2020, which will be held on Thursday.
He has n
ot yet confirmed whether he will participate in the next days in the other finals to the ones that qualified in Tokyo: jump and uneven bars (on Sunday, August 1), solitaire (on Monday, August 2) and balance beam (on Tuesday, 30).
Although not all the world has the visibility of Biles or lives under the pressure that athletes are subjected to in the most important competition in the world, the athlete's gesture can serve as a lesson and reflection for everyone, according to mental health specialists interviewed by BBC News Brazil .
"Today there is more talk of mental health in sports, music, education ... and the fact ho that it is discussed demystifies the issue, "says clinical psychiatrist Lívia Castelo Branco.
Whats On https://www.theatreworks.org.au/now-playing/2021-season-program/
Google Map Ref: -37.86419612298049, 144.9760729411019
Heather Cunsolo 0466 227 014
Heather.Cunsolo@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Katherine Copsey 0466 478 949
Katherine.Copsey@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Peter Martin 0435 390 821
Peter.Martin@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Louise Crawford 0466 514 643
Louise.Crawford@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Tim Baxter 0466 495 250
Tim.Baxter@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Five out of touch Councillors - Cunsolo, Baxter, Copsey, Martin and Crawford - displayed disregard for residents and ratepayers.
Five Councillors - voted against a rate freeze during these tough Covid times. The cost to do this was just $1.98 million.
Five Councillors - refused a rate freeze, despite council forecasting $4.4 million cash surplus plus $2.3 million from new properties.
Five Councillors - then increased spending by $1.35 million on hand-outs & pet projects for minority groups, providing little for the whole community.
WE SAY
Keep politics out of Port Phillip. Residents get very little for the exorbitant rates we pay. It’s time to point the finger at the Councillors that are increasing our rates, wasting money and working against residents and ratepayers interests. If these Five Councillors can’t vote for a rate freeze during COVID when will they?
UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.
Ask these 5 councillors
Heather Cunsolo 0466 227 014
Heather.Cunsolo@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Katherine Copsey 0466 478 949
Katherine.Copsey@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Peter Martin 0435 390 821
Peter.Martin@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Louise Crawford 0466 514 643
Louise.Crawford@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Tim Baxter 0466 495 250
Tim.Baxter@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Five out of touch Councillors - Cunsolo, Baxter, Copsey, Martin and Crawford - displayed disregard for residents and ratepayers.
Five Councillors - voted against a rate freeze during these tough Covid times. The cost to do this was just $1.98 million.
Five Councillors - refused a rate freeze, despite council forecasting $4.4 million cash surplus plus $2.3 million from new properties.
Five Councillors - then increased spending by $1.35 million on hand-outs & pet projects for minority groups, providing little for the whole community.
WE SAY
Keep politics out of Port Phillip. Residents get very little for the exorbitant rates we pay. It’s time to point the finger at the Councillors that are increasing our rates, wasting money and working against residents and ratepayers interests. If these Five Councillors can’t vote for a rate freeze during COVID when will they?
UPDATE 15 AUGUST 2020: RoPP campaign successful in delaying new Bin Tax
We are pleased to see that the Bin Tax will not be introduced this financial year, according to Port Phillip’s updated web page.
Thanks to all for your help with our Bin Tax campaign!
The best way to ensure your rates are reduced to be in line with neighbouring councils, is to vote for a RoPP endorsed candidate at the upcoming October election. We will be releasing the exciting news about our endorsed candidates soon, so stay tuned.
- At the 4th December 2019 Council meeting, a “Waste and Amenity levy” was proposed to address the waste crisis, forecasted to add $64 million over the next 10 years to Council’s “rate cap challenge”. RoPP spoke at that meeting in opposition to the new Tax, unless the Council could provide more information.
- We finally received a written response from the CEO on July 2nd 2020, confirming that Council were considering options of how to fund the Bin Tax, including the levy being additional to existing rates.
- Our poster and leaflet campaign to stop the Bin Tax commenced on 30th July 2020.
- Council’s website still detailed the impending Bin Tax. Now those details have been removed, replaced instead with a statement about the deferral.
- Why would Council remove the details from their website? As of writing this, the minutes of the 4th December 2019 Council meeting where the Bin Tax was voted on, are also no longer available on their website. Further, we have discovered that almost 20 years of Council meeting agendas & minutes have been removed in the last week.
- Please refer to the end of this webpage for details of the Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies.
The facts and our transparency speak for themselves. The Council’s backdown on a new Bin Tax shows that our campaign has had an impact. Council have rightly recognised the harshness of introducing a new tax on top of the burden of existing rates, in a time of economic crisis.
Port Phillip Council is one of the highest spending councils in the state and are now proposing to introduce an additional Waste and Amenity levy on top of the exorbitant rates you already pay.
See https://ropp.org.au/fact-check-how-high-are-port-phillip-rates-compared-to-neighbouring-councils/
So in addition to a 2% increase to total rates collected this year (the maximum allowable under the State government’s rate cap system), you would have to pay a levy for ‘Waste and Amenity’, “A BIN TAX” on this fundamental service. This would severely impact both ratepayers and residents at a time when many have lost their livelihoods, incomes and ability to pay.
Council claims that the reason they need to charge a new levy is because waste costs are rising at a greater pace than inflation. There are two issues with this:
1. Waste management, a core service of council, only accounts for 5.3% of the Port Phillip budget[1], meaning that even if this component increased by 10% per year, the effect on the overall budget would only be around 1-1.2%, well within the 2% rate cap.
2. Competent management should be able to absorb this fundamental service easily, by forecasting these cost issues and re-prioritising their budget accordingly. Instead, the majority of the 2% increase in general rates will go towards wage rises for staff, which council has stubbornly refused to address (or even acknowledge).
Council wants to take the easy way out yet again, by charging ratepayers a new BIN TAX instead of doing the hard work necessary to manage the budget.
The waste and amenity levy (BIN TAX) would sit outside the 2% annual rate cap imposed by the Essential Services Commission. This gives council the option to increase the levy by whatever amount it wishes, and you can be sure it will – council will use the levy to fund its inability to manage its own budget. Council describes this inability to live within their own means the ‘rate capping challenge’.
IT’S A NEW TAX ON TOP OF YOUR EXISTING RATES
Councillors did not want to be held accountable at the ballot box for introducing a new tax this year, so have deferred its introduction until after the election. We are here to highlight the issue so that you have the chance to stop council by voting for an independent candidate that will vote against the BIN TAX and hold the council to account. Keep an eye on our website for an independent review of candidates running in the October election.
We say:
1. ROPP does not support the introduction of a Waste and Amenity Levy in addition to the burden of existing rates. Council need to get the budget under control instead of taking the easy way out: a new Bin Tax
2. Now is not the time to impose new taxes on a struggling economy. It’s not fair and it needs to be stopped.
Essential Services Commission’s role in waste levies
Council can levy a new charge in addition to existing rates, just like two councils did in 2018-19. This is subject to the oversight of the Essential Services Commission, however Councils retain full autonomy to introduce new charges. Council can opt to introduce a waste levy in a revenue neutral way, reducing general rates by the same amount that the new levy raises. This is what Maribyrnong did in 2019-20.
As Port Phillip Council said themselves on the now removed ‘waste challenges’ webpage :
“Council is also considering a proposal to introduce a waste and amenity levy, which would be a payment separate to Council rates to cover some, or all, of the costs incurred by council to deliver waste, recycling and cleansing services. This would enable Council to set a service rate or charge (levy) that’s in line with the true cost of the service.