A Werribee property owner is outraged by the jump in council rates in recent years, claiming he pays significantly less on similarly valued properties in the inner city and eastern suburbs.
Nigel Carter, whose family has owned the building that housed the former Palais Theatre since 1927, said his rates had nearly doubled in the past five years, jumping to more than $13,100 for the 2016-17 financial year.
He also believes the council has exaggerated the value of his Station Place property, with the capital improved value jumping 61.15 per cent to $2.19 million in the past six years. Mr Carter, who owns a number of properties around Yarra, Boroondara and Stonnington, said Wyndham’s rates were excessive compared to those in other parts of the city.
One of those properties, a property in Stonnington worth $3.46 million, has rates of $6075. Boroondara council charges Mr Carter $4553 for a property valued at $1.9 million.
Mr Carter has spent a year unsuccessfully petitioning Wyndham council for a rates reduction.
“Werribee must be the Toorak of the west,” he said. “We have properties in prime areas of Melbourne which have only marginally increased [in value] … and the rates are 100 per cent less.”
But Wyndham council chief financial officer Binda Gokhale said Mr Carter’s rates bill was determined using the same methodology for all rateable properties and that a review by council’s independent valuer confirmed the valuation of the Station Place property.
“Mr Carter has been made aware of his options if he wishes to dispute his rates bill,” Ms Gokhale said. “He can contest the valuation of his property, which will be reviewed by an independent valuer, or he can raise the issue formally with VCAT.”
“We are confident that the rates applied to Mr Carter’s property are in line with council policy and state government legislation.
“Council’s budget reflects our fast-growing municipality and our needs will therefore be different to the more established inner-city municipalities. Direct comparisons of budget across these local government areas are therefore not appropriate.”
