Pensioner’s pleas to Cairns council over rates rise

Retirees will deliver a hastily prepared deputation to Cairns councillors protesting a staggering 800 per cent rate rise for some pensioners with fears that dozens of elderly women will likely go homeless as a result of the price hike.

Cairns Regional Council has proposed a change of classification of general rates to retirement villages, placing them in the same category as freehold units and apartments, and increasing the rates of each dwelling by up to 800 percent. Kevin McRae, 72, and Colleen Duplock, 71, from The Parks Retirement Village say the proposed rates hike could leave many vulnerable residents homeless. Picture: Brendan Radke

Retirees will deliver a hastily prepared deputation to Cairns councillors protesting a staggering 800 per cent rate rise for some pensioners with fears that dozens of elderly women will likely go homeless as a result of the price hike.

Cairns Regional Council has flagged that it intends to slug residents living in retirement villages with the fee increase from next year, with the more than $300 increase phased-in over two years.

Earlville’s Parks Retirement Village residents Colleen Duplock and Kevin McRae said they received correspondence from the council on Monday inviting the duo to speak prior to Wednesday’s ordinary council meeting.

Ms Duplock said she requested an opportunity to address the councillors in late March but had initially been informed that a deputation wouldn’t occur until later in the year.

“My response was it’s about a budget issue, so there’s no point presenting after the budget meeting,” she said. “We’d like it before the meeting.”

Retirement village residents, Kevin McRae and Colleen Duplock from Aveo The Parks, Kay Nyland from Mercy Health Coral Sea Gardens and Bruce Walters from Regis Whitfield. Picture: Brendan Radke

Residents at the Parks already led relatively meagre existences with little means to cover unforeseen expenses, Ms Duplock said.

“When the penny dropped I felt a bit sick,” she said. “In our village we have some very elderly, frail, women.

“We’ve got 154 units. About 130 of them are single pensioners. Most of them are women and most of those women are over 80 with no capacity to earn any more money.”

A council spokesman said the proposed change will affect around seven properties and about 640 dwellings.

“(The) council is proposing an adjustment to the general rates calculation for retirement villages and relocatable home parks, bringing them in line with other multi-dwelling properties,” the spokesman said.

“These properties provide independent homes to a mix of retirees and younger people and currently some contribute as little as $58 per dwelling each year in rates.

“Our proposed changes will realign the rate charges to be more equitable to other multi-dwelling complexes that are subject to a minimum of $1072 each year.

The change wouldn’t impact rates paid at aged care or supported living facilities.

“(The) council has been engaging on the proposed changes directly with property owners since early March,” the spokesman said.

“We have also met with and corresponded with impacted residents.”

Division Four councillor, Trevor Tim, has agreed to meet with residents at the Parks village on Friday to hear residents’ concerns.

The council estimated that more than 97 per cent of eligible pensioners living in the local government area pay at least the minimum rate.

Originally published as Pensioner’s pleas to Cairns council over rates rise