The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has announced that council’s application for a Special Rate Variation has not been approved.

The application was for a 4.6 per cent per annum cumulative increase for seven years to enable council to increase its own source revenue and fund community infrastructure including swimming pool refurbishments, flood mitigation works and road restoration.

IPART’s decision is disappointing considering the extensive community consultation undertaken by council and the support for the proposal received from the community during the Fit For The Future and other consultations.

What is particular upsetting however is IPART’s finding that in its community consultations the council did not effectively communicate the cumulative size of the rate increase. IPART concluded that the consultation materials focused on the annual percentage increase of 4.6 per cent and did not provide adequate information on the cumulative percentage increase of 37 per cent.

Council takes great pride in the lengths to which it goes to consult with its community. Council’s consultation materials, including its website fact sheet, newsletter and powerpoint at the community forums, did include a rates table outlining the cumulative dollar increase in rates between the first and last year of the special rate variation, as well as the annual average dollar increase in rates for the various categories of rateable land.

Nevertheless IPART’s decision means that council can only increase its income from ordinary rates in 2017/18 by no more than the rate peg ie 1.5 per cent. It also means the projects that were to be funded by the Special Rate Variation will need to be reviewed or re-scoped.

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RECENTLY, council celebrated Volunteer Week by cooking a barbecue for volunteers. I was talking to Bob Blake and he was telling me how successful the Men’s Shed at The Rock. Any men who may want to become involved can do so on a Wednesday morning. 

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I HAVE had a request to try and locate the old horse trough that was located at the end of the Lockhart main street. These troughs have an historical value related to the town’s very beginnings and it would be great to locate this trough. If anyone has any info please contact myself or Trish Herford.

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THE Lockhart & District Progress Association AGM is June 13 in Lockhart.