‘View Tax’ controversy: What council are doing next

Council’s next steps have been revealed after a ‘fiery’ meeting heard about the anger of high rise residents over rates changes dubbed a new ‘View Tax’. Full details.

Attendees at a Town Hall meeting in Southport on Thursday to discuss council's rates changes for high rise unit owners. Picture: 7NEWS Gold Coast.

Residents are being asked to provide feedback to council on a controversial change to rates bills after a “fiery” town hall meeting was attended by hundreds of people on Thursday.

Cr Brooke Patterson called the meeting at Southport after residents reacted with fury to the change, since dubbed a ‘View Tax’, which saw owners of units in high rise buildings see their general rates increased by up to 50 per cent.

Cr Patterson, who on Tuesday tabled a petition to council seeking to have the change reviewed, said the meeting had been a valuable opportunity for people to outline their concerns.

“It was good for people to have the opportunity to speak, and they most definitely valued that,” she said.

“The feedback confirmed my concern that we need to revisit this and we need to rework it. I don’t think that it meets the requirements.

“I tabled a petition to council on Tuesday which actions the formalised review into our rates. “Last night (Thursday) we released a form, which is now available on the City of Gold Coast website, for feedback until the 19th of September.”

The Town Hall meeting was organised by Councillor Brooke Patterson. Picture: Portia Large.

Cr Patterson said a report would then be presented for councillors to consider. She said she herself would be “advocating for change”.

“People can give quite structured feedback on how this has impacted them in a way that they don’t consider to be equitable and fair,” she said.

“Once that’s done then officers will take that feedback, along with the data, and present a report to council which we’ll then interrogate.”

Council graphic explaining changes to rates for high-rise units.

The move comes after the Bulletin revealed how retired people on fixed incomes living in Southport tower blocks had been angered by the rates hike.

John Butler, who lives in a 27th-floor unit at the Southport Central complex and received an increase of more than 30 per cent, said it was a cruel blow amid a cost of living crisis.

“I’m going on 82, retired, I can’t go out and earn more income,” he said.

Pensioners also said they were particularly angry after having downsized to improve their finances in retirement.

“If we’re doing anything which discourages retired people and people on pensions to go and downsize into units then that’s not what the city wants to do,” Cr Patterson said.

“It’s something we want to encourage. So we need to make sure we’re not doing anything to discourage that.”

Southport Central residents Chris Griffith, John Butler and Bob Cartledge. Picture: Keith Woods.

Cr Patterson said she believed council’s intentions in making the change were correct, but there were “issues” with the execution.

“I think it’s been too blunt,” she said.

If council does resolve to amend the rates changes, state government rules mean they cannot do so until next year’s budget. It means any changes decided upon will not take effect until July next year.

Affected residents can have their say by clicking HERE.

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Originally published as ‘View Tax’ controversy: What council are doing next