Community concern reduces Kwinana rate increase

City of Kwinana residents will face a 2.5 per cent increase for residential rates in the 2019-20 financial year, after councillors last night endorsed a reduced rate increase following feedback from the community.

Councillors voted to lower the proposed differential rate increase from the advertised 3.5 per cent down to 2.5 per cent, after considering community submissions at a special council meeting held last night.

The Council reviewed seven rates options and agreed on a rate increase which would ensure services to the community were not compromised, while also taking into account the community submissions received, and the current economic climate faced by ratepayers.

Mayor Carol Adams said the process was “complex”, but one which all local governments faced on a yearly basis.

“Each year the City calculates the level of rates required to fund the services and activities we provide to the Kwinana community, after taking into account all other possible forms of revenue,” she said.

“We are keenly aware that many in our community are doing it tough and we tried to strike a balance between the community’s capacity to pay rates and the City’s capacity to deliver quality services.

“We concluded that the fairest outcome was to proceed with budget preparations with a 2.5 per cent increase to the improved residential rate category plus continuing the rate harmonisation for applicable rating categories.”

Councillors last night also endorsed a 2.5 per cent increase to the vacant residential, light industrial and commercial, and all UV rating categories.

General industry and service commercial, large scale general industry and service commercial, and light industrial commercial will be harmonised to create a new Improved Commercial and Industry category with a rate in the dollar of $0.09269.

Vacant non residential and vacant residential rating categories will be combined for the next four years, while improved residential and improved special residential rating categories will also harmonise over the next four years,

The 2019/20 budget is being finalised and is expected to be adopted at the Wednesday, June 26 ordinary council meeting.