WYNDHAM Council has offered to review its rating strategy after 400 angry residents swamped a public meeting on Monday night.
Landholders from Tarneit, Truganina and Mount Cottrell confronted councillors and staff at the meeting after receiving rates increases of up to 700 per cent.
An independent facilitator struggled to keep interjections under control. The agenda was soon cast aside and council faced the heat of spontaneous criticism from the crowd.
The rate increases were the result of land in the Wyndham North area being brought within the urban growth boundary in 2010, meaning it could eventually be sold to developers for a higher price.
The move meant the value of properties soared during this year’s revaluations.
But residents questioned the accuracy of the valuations after it was revealed they were based on four sales in the area from 2010-12.
Valuer Stephen Davey, from Opteon, said the valuation process required 33 per cent of properties in Wyndham to be inspected every two years, meaning each property was visited every six years.
Residents argued their properties should have been inspected individually because many of them could not be developed because of flooding and buffer zones required to protect the growling grass frog.
Kenning Road resident Deborah Brown was told by the Growth Areas Authority that flooding and the presence of frogs on her land meant it could not be developed. However, her rates increased from $2500 to $4500 because her land was considered ready for development.
Tarneit resident Aaron Borg said residents objected to the rates hike because they did not receive the same services and infrastructure as the rest of Wyndham. He said the area was without water, sewerage, public transport and street lights. Poorly maintained council roads made it difficult to get taxi, ambulances and fire trucks to come to the area.
Wyndham Fair Rates Committee member Neil Anderson said the rates had been increased too soon. He said it would be another 10-15 years before land in Wyndham North was developed. “The council has done a grab for money. I haven’t got anyone knocking on the door because it’s too far away.”
Tarneit’s Joe Magro said he had had enough. “I’ve been here 30 years and I want to get out of here. The council is trying to force us off our land.”
Wyndham chief executive Kerry Thompson denied the increase was a cash grab, saying the council’s rates income remained the same every year. She said each resident had to lodge a formal objection to their rates before their valuations could be reviewed. “We cannot change decisions overnight with the stroke of a pen.
“There are strict rules that we have to follow. I cannot under the legal framework change rates without an objection.”
Ms Thompson offered to run workshops to help residents prepare their objections and said the council would review its hardship policy.
She also offered for the council to review its rating strategy within the next six months.
Corporate services director Steven Lambert said residents objecting to their rates were required to pay instalments at last year’s rate until their objections were finalised. The valuer has four months to make a recommendation to the council on each objection.
Mr Lambert said the council at its September 24 meeting would consider stopping interest on payments for landholders who were appealing their valuations.
