Scrap proposed rates system: owners

Business owners facing crippling rate rises have used a special electors’ meeting to call for Bunbury City Council’s new single rating system to be scrapped.

The meeting on Tuesday night was called after the council introduced a single rate for all properties in Bunbury.

This change and a recent land revaluation by the State Government will mean residential ratepayers and property owners in the CBD are set to benefit from a reduction in rates.

However, property owners in the industrial and commercial zones of Bunbury are facing significant increases of more than 25 per cent and some higher than 50 per cent.

A motion put forward by Southern Districts Estate Agency principal Geoff Pedley was overwhelmingly supported by most of the 70 people who attended the electors’ meeting.

“The meeting expresses their grave concern at the inadequate consultation on the council’s decision to move from a differential rating system to a single rating system, and calls on council to reverse the decision and revert back to the differential rating system, ” the motion stated.

Mr Pedley’s motion and a plan to introduce a rate increase limit of 15 per cent for about 600 property owners will be debated at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

A statement on behalf of opponents to the rating system said the business and industrial community had “spoken very clearly”.

“The business community is extremely concerned that the city, with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, has made a severe mistake in changing to a system that penalises the business sector that underpins the economic success of our city, ” the group said.

There were a number of speakers during the 20 minute electors’ meeting including Mr Pedley, former Mayor David Smith and businessman Alex Karatamoglou.

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