Gold Coast ‘View Tax’: What’s happening next as council agree to review

Unit owners have vowed to continue fighting controversial rates hikes after council agreed to a review, while a government minister has urged local governments to be ‘cognisant’ of cost of living concerns. Full story.

Councillor Darren Taylor presenting petitions to council at a meeting on Tuesday September 17.

Opponents of a rates hike on units dubbed a ‘View Tax’ by critics have vowed to continue their campaign against the “unfair” measure after council agreed to a review.

It comes as a government minister urged local authorities to be cognisant of cost of living pressures when making decisions affecting household budgets.

At a meeting on Tuesday petitions were submitted to council from residents of six tower blocks on the Gold Coast objecting to the change, which has resulted in rate rises of between 10 and 50 per cent for unit owners.

Petitions from residents of Atlantis West, Liberty Panorama, Quarterdeck, Thornton Towers and The Nelson Surfers Paradise were submitted by Division 10 councillor Darren Taylor, while a petition from Victoria Towers residents was submitted by Division 6 councillor Brooke Patterson.

A graphic explaining the view tax being introduced by the Gold Coast City Council.

Rhapsody Surfers North body corporate chairman Alex Scott said residents in his building had also been angered by the rates hike.

The committee had written to every councillor on the Gold Coast about the matter and would continue to fight against it.

“We will continue to persevere,” Mr Scott said.

“We will continue because whilst we think it is not fair, we will continue to do whatever we can to persuade council that it is not fair.”

Although the scale of rates rises is bigger for owners of units on higher floors, in letters to residents in Southport council denied that the hikes represent a ‘View Tax’.

“The council’s decision to change the rating structure for vertical community titles scheme (CTS) properties used as the principal place of residence (PPR) is not related to ‘taxing a view’,” the letters read.

“The view that the property enjoys (or doesn’t enjoy) is irrelevant. The new rating structure is about addressing an anomaly that exists in the general rates calculated on CTS lots.”

Mr Scott said the issue had caused particular consternation to owners at Rhapsody whose views of the ocean were being obscured by the construction of a neighbouring tower.

“In our own case at Rhapsody we have a situation where a number of our apartments are looking at the ocean at the moment. There’s a Meriton building going up in front of them. That (their ocean view) will go,” he said.

“Yet the fact that they are still on the fortieth floor, they are still being taxed according to the formula that has been put together by council.”

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate. Picture: John Gass.

Mayor Tom Tate in 2013 opposed a similar so-called ‘View Tax’, saying it was “fundamentally flawed”. Asked at a press conference on Tuesday what had changed in the decade since, Cr Tate said the city was in a different place.

“What it is is back then there was one crane in the sky. The whole place was literally stagnant,” he said.

Cr Tate urged anyone struggling to pay the rate increases to contact council about payment plans.

The comments failed to impress many unit owners, who lashed out on social media.

“This council is the greatest money grabbing group,” one person said.

“I live in a unit of 93sq meters with a view and have to pay higher rates than my friends who live in four-bedroom houses on 700 sqm blocks and guess what they have views!”

It is understood that despite the council review, any changes to the controversial rate hikes could only be implemented at council budget meetings ahead of the next financial year.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

A number of residents have written to the state government asking them to intervene in the matter.

Gaven MP and Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon told the Bulletin the rates changes were a matter for council, but said all levels of government needed to be cognisant of cost of living challenges.

“I’ll let council defend those actions. Our government thinks that at a time when people are really struggling with the cost of living we should do everything we can to relieve that pressure on household budgets,” Ms Scanlon said.

“That’s exactly why we’ve delivered a $1300 energy rebate with the Albanese government, that’s why we are providing 50 cent fares as well as that reduction on rego.

“It’s also why we have taken the decision to freeze all fees and charges.

“We know it’s really tough for households and that’s why we are taking action.

“And of course, as a local MP, I’d love to see all levels of government be cognisant of the impact on households of the decisions that they’re making.”

Follow @keithjwoods

Originally published as Gold Coast ‘View Tax’: What’s happening next as council agree to review