Daniel Andrews’ Rate Cap Failure

Shadow Minister for Local Government, David Davis

Daniel Andrews’ promise to cap rates at the CPI has failed for the second year running.
Last year the Andrews Government let councils jack up their rates without control and this year chose a number that was higher than the actual CPI.
The process for application for variation is a complete and utter shambles with the Government and ESC unclear about the grounds for variation and chaotic in their application.  Further the application process is costly and cumbersome.
Whatever one thinks of Daniel Andrews’ rate capping plan, the fact is he has not capped rates at the CPI like he said he would.
There is no clear pattern in the case of six variations granted, those refused and those who were warned off by the ESC.
It is no wonder councils are under pressure when Daniel Andrews has cut their funding. Daniel Andrews has particularly slugged regional councils by taking the axe to the Country Roads and Bridges Program, costing country councils $1 million per year.
Daniel Andrews consistently calls for one standard from councils and lives by a different one himself. Over the last two years state taxes have gone up 20.7 per cent and from 1 July, the land tax take will increase by more than 28 per cent.
Victorian ratepayers should examine closely their own rate notices and calculate the actual increases since Daniel Andrews came to government with the CPI well below 2 per cent in each of the last two years
Daniel Andrews is either a garden variety hypocrite, incompetent, or both.

Media contact:  James Duncan   0457 758 018           james.duncan@opposition.vic.gov.au