Mayor calls on State Government to leave social housing rates with Cou
Published on 25 February 2022
Following the State Government’s announcement to remove local government’s ability to levy rates on social housing, Mayor Cr Anthony Tran has written to the Premier outlining Council’s concerns with the move, stating it will have disastrous consequences for the City of Maribyrnong.
“I am disappointed and concerned at the State Government’s decision to remove our ability to gather rates revenue from social housing,” Mayor, Cr Anthony Tran wrote.
Across the City of Maribyrnong, there are 1,700 social housing properties, and the State Government is proposing to add a further 300 in Braybrook, one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in our municipality in terms of employment and income.
“We support a significant amount of social housing in our municipality, and the estimated loss to Maribyrnong will exceed $2 million per year, compounding to an estimated $26 million by 2032. That income is critical to the provision of infrastructure services to ensure our community, including tenants of social housing properties, are able to enjoy a good quality of life,” Mayor Tran continued.
Over the past two years of the pandemic, Council has contributed $11 million from ratepayer funds to support residents and businesses impacted by COVID-19.
“Losing social housing rates income on top of the current challenges we are facing will be a serious blow to our rates revenue and our budget. This comes at a time when our residents, and particularly our ratepayers, are struggling with the economic impacts of COVID, this is something from which we may never recover.
“The public libraries, recreational facilities, parks and gardens and other services and facilities rates provide, and are particularly enjoyed by tenants of social housing properties, are the very services and facilities we will struggle to provide if we are required to balance a severely diminished budget”, Mayor Tran stated.
Noting the burden the decision would place on Council to deliver the necessary services to support its community and the resulting impact on their overall health and wellbeing from any loss of those services, his correspondence ends with a request to State Government to reconsider.
The Mayor’s letter was sent to the Premier on Friday 18 February, the day of the announcement. Government announced the following Monday the proposed exemption was not being proceeded with for now.