LETTER: After the flood, bad timing to talk rate hikes

"I CAN not reconcile the value of having to pay more than $50-100 per week for the privilege to support basic utilities and travel on substandard roads."

Residents wade through rising floodwaters as they leave their home in central Lismore, New South Wales, Friday, March 31, 2017. The Wilsons River breached its banks early morning flooding the far-northern NSW town. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING. Picture: DAVE HUNT

I BELIEVE that it is appalling timing for Lismore City Council to have press articles in both the Star and the Echo indicating that land rates increases of up to 11.5% will be discussed by Council around late June next.

This comes at a time when Lismore is recovering from another almost one in a hundred year floods, State and Federal Governments are asked to rate Lismore as being in the highest disaster recovery assistance rankings and historically when we have the highest land rates in the Northern Rivers.

Compared to Byron and Ballina this seems staggering and indicates to me that our Council should look for more economic internal management than consistently putting out their "Oliver" hand to citizens for MORE.

I can not reconcile the value of having to pay more than $50-00 per week (combined rates) for the privilege to support basic utilities and travel on substandard roads just to live in this beautiful part of the world.

It is time that Council asked the MORE question of themselves more frequently and questioned are we really getting value for money.

It seems that rising insurance and Council costs are bringing the populace to its knees.

Tony Madden