By ALENA HIGGINS
RATEPAYERS who were recently stung two years’ worth of back-dated rates will have the debt wiped clean after Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) bowed to fierce public pressure last week.
About 100 people turned out to a community meeting at Warwick Town Hall last Wednesday night in a show of solidarity against the supplementary rates notices, which were prompted by a change in land valuation due to re-zoning of the Rosenthal Heights and Mt Tabor areas from rural to rural-residential in August 2012.
As tempers boiled over, members of the gallery were quick to voice their displeasure at the “cash grab”, heckling SDRC mayor Peter Blundell and members of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) who had congregated to explain the notice.
Cr Blundell said a number of circumstances led to the “really perverse and unfortunate outcome”.
He said the first was an operational error that saw the supplementary rates notices sent out without the knowledge of councillors and which demanded the balance be paid immediately.
“I think the wording on those rates notices left a lot to be desired … I don’t think that is acceptable,” he said of the blunder.
“I don’t make any hesitation in apologising for that.”
Cr Blundell said it was SDRC’s understanding that it did not have discretion under the Local Government Act to withhold the back-dated rates, however it was informed to the contrary after seeking subsequent legal advice.
There were 270 properties affected by the change in land values, 251 adversely, equating to about $122,000 in potential revenue SDRC acting CEO David Tuxford said at the meeting.
Kate Keogh, who along with her Warner Street neighbours was instrumental in bringing the “injustice” to light, said she was delighted with the result and the speed at which it was resolved.
SDRC held a special meeting last Thursday where councillors agreed to grant a hardship concession to landholders who were adversely affected by the new property valuation from the DNRM and to send a letter to those ratepayers notifying them immediately of the change.
However, Ms Keogh said a quick search of the DNRM’s website would have revealed council had discretion to decide whether or not to seek to recover the outstanding amounts.
In a statement received after the special meeting on Thursday, Cr Blundell said council was concerned about the “ambiguity of the Local Government Act in relation to changes in land valuations” and all councilors were “particularly troubled” by the “long delays with land valuations”.
“We acknowledge that there are lessons to be learned from this and council staff will prepare a policy that will outline a process to follow when issuing any future supplementary rates notices,” he said.
Ms Keogh suggested council also reassess its community consultation policy, saying it should personally notify landholders who stood to be affected by re-zoning before the change occurred, as media promotion does not go far enough.
People who have already paid their supplementary rates notice will be offered a refund or credit towards their next rates bill.
