Councils to send pamphlets to ratepayers blaming State Government for higher rate increases

Councils will send pamphlets to tens of thousands of ratepayers publicly blaming the State Government’s surprise rubbish tax for higher-than-expected rate rises.

• Last week, the Budget included a surprise solid waste levy increase
• ...Mayors reacted with fury after being blindsided
• ...TTG Council was first to raise its rates in response
• ...Followed by Salisbury last night

Two councils will publicly blame the State Government for higher rate rises by mailing pamphlets to households complaining about a hike in the solid waste levy.

Charles Sturt and Salisbury councils have voted during debates over last-minute changes to their annual budgets to include the pamphlets with their rates notices.

Both councils have voted to lift their rates higher than planned to cover extra costs caused by the Government’s surprise decision to increase the solid waste levy by 40 per cent.

Tea Tree Gully and Unley council also have voted for higher rate increases while other metropolitan councils, including Playford and Onkaparinga, are due to discuss the issue on Tuesday night.

Salisbury Council voted on Monday night to “publicly condemn” the State Government for its decision to increase the rubbish tax without consultation.

Councillors from Playford and Salisbury unite to express their displeasure over the 40 per cent increase in the Solid Waste Levy. Picture: Supplied

Cr Chad Buchanan gained majority support for council to write to Premier Steven Marshall and Treasurer Rob Lucas protesting the surprise hike.

“This increase will hurt families, it is a blatant cash grab,” he said.

“All households will feel this increase. The impact on our council over the next four years will be $5 million.”

Cr Buchanan said it was the first time in his 17 years on Salisbury Council that it had decided to publicly condemn the State Government.

“This is nothing more than a dishonest and shameful attempt by the Marshall Liberal Government to prop up its budget,” he said.

Cr Buchanan said it was “disgraceful” that the levy had been increased without any warning to councils as they were set to approve their budgets.

“We need to put a flyer in our first rate notices explaining this was forced upon us at the last minute,” he said.

“Then we need to print it on the outside of envelopes on future rate notices.”

Cr Buchanan estimated it would cost around $3000 to put flyers in the 60,000 rate notices sent out by Salisbury Council.

Deputy mayor Julie Woodman agreed with sending out a flyer to ratepayers.

“I want to see a separate piece of paper that falls out and tells our ratepayers why this is happening,” she said.

Salisbury mayor Gillian Aldridge at the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority facility at Edinburgh. Picture Dean Martin

Cr Lisa Braun said while she agreed with a flyer, it was “ironic” that at the time council was encouraging people to reduce waste, they were adding to it by sending out 60,000 pamphlets.

Salisbury councillors voted 11-3 to increase their rates to 2.9 per cent, rather than a planned 2.5 per cent.

At Charles Sturt Council’s meeting, chief executive Paul Sutton on Monday night said the levy would cost every resident an average of $33 per year — or 5 per cent of an average rates bill.

Speaking in support of the anti-government campaign, Mr Sutton said the council would be “clear with our community about the impact of what this means” and that “it is not a jacking up of council rates but rather a pass through of a state government tax”.

He said the tax increase had been “dropped on local government” without warning in last week’s State Budget.

Cr Paul Alexandrides, who described the levy hike as “a bomb, a molotov cocktail”, said the cost could not be passed on “without any comeback at all”.

“I’m happy to tell our ratepayers that it’s not us, it’s what we had to do because the State Government pinned us to the wall,” Cr Alexandrides said.

Rate increases so far as a result of the Solid Waste Levy:

• Tea Tree Gully: From 2.7 per cent to 2.9 per cent
• Charles Sturt: From 1.7 per cent to 2.25 per cent
• Salisbury: From 2.5 per cent to 2.9 per cent
• Unley: From 2.1 per cent to 2.25 per cent