By Megan Jones

Most of Australia’s suburban and regional Councils have sensibly committed to end discrimination based on race, colour, disability,  gender and age. Yet they have failed to consider one of its most egregious forms of discrimination when setting their rates. Discrimination against the single person household.

As the costs of living and the concurrent price gouging continues, it is time to end insidious Council discrimination against single persons.

Single ratepayers are charged the same rates as couples. Singles earn less than couples when they are employed and then, when they retire, they receive only 75% of a couple’s Federal Aged pension entitlement.

 I use 50% of the services, sometimes even less, than couples. I produce 50% less garbage than a couple. I have not used maternal health care or baby health services because I don’t have children and, as a matter of fact,  neither do the other three long term singletons in my street.

I don’t use the sporting facilities largely devoted to boys/men’s games. I used the library 50% less than literate couples. I use 50% less of the pavements, the roads, the parks and the gardens. I use 50% less of the administrative services offered by the council.

The list goes on. More importantly, single people contribute less to climate disaster and environmental degradation.

Even the travel industry is starting to wake up to the world of single people. Cruises, hotels and other accommodations used to charge a single surcharge or supplement, but  they are rethinking this structural injustice.

Holidays may be an optional luxury, but rates are compulsory.

In Australia 13% of the population is permanently single and on the increase.  Many others enter and leave this state depending on demographic drivers.

I am not asking the Councils to require single rate payers to pay 50% of the rates which would be justified but I think, to be fair, single rate payers should pay only 75% of the Council rates.

Megan Jones

Port Melbourne resident