Lismore City Council writes off former mayor Jeff Champion’s unpaid rates interest during closed meeting

Lismore council has wiped a sizeable interest debt on a former mayor’s unpaid rates bill – while flood victims await promised rates relief, it can be revealed.

Former Lismore mayor Jeff Champion and the unit block.

Lismore City Council has wiped a sizeable interest debt on a former mayor’s unpaid rates bill for a unit block near Southern Cross University as flood victims await promised rates relief.

The council wrote off $83,121 in interest on a debt of $443,292 in unpaid rates at the request of former Lismore Mayor Jeff Champion from 2005 to 2007, it’s understood.

The waiving of the rates would facilitate the sale of units at the property, and the remaining outstanding debt of $360,171 would be collected from the sale.

Former Lismore mayor Jeff Champion outside Champion's Quarry at Tucki Tucki in a file photo. Picture: David Nielsen.

The property, 4 Dixon Place, which is located near the university in Lismore, includes 18 units across three strata plans. Some of those strata units are made up of multiple “flats” – with several units on the market for between $280,000-$290,000 per unit.

The council has refused to answer questions about the waiving of rates for the Champions because the matter was discussed and determined in a confidential meeting.

Mr Champion was contacted for comment, but it has not been forthcoming.

It’s understood of the 18 units at 4 Dixon Place, Champion or his relatives owned 17 in a mixture of companies and private ownership at the time of the waiver and the units were primarily in the name of Reavill Farm Pty Limited, which has a history of outstanding rates, water and fees.

It’s also understood a motion was tabled to write off the interest on the debt for 4 Dixon Place to help facilitate the sale during a closed council meeting on August 9, 2022.

Dixon Place in Lismore.

The decision was held confidentially because the council stated it was not in the public interest to discuss openly due to “personal hardship of a resident or ratepayer” – Mr Champion and his relatives.

“Council can only waive interest on unpaid rates under its hardship policy,” a council spokesperson said.

“Residents who want their interest waived must first apply to council, which then determines if the application is eligible and what amount is waived.”

Rates waiving must then go before councillors in a secret meeting for determination on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, the council is yet to deliver promised rates relief to flood impacted residents a year on from the 2022 catastrophe.

The only rates relief for flood victims came from the state government, when it provided one-off relief last year subsidising a portion of rates.

On August 13, 2018, the Supreme Court heard Reavill Farm was more than $1 million in debt.

Shortly after, on August 29, of that year, the court ordered Reavill Farm to hand over a Tuckurimba property to two people that brought litigation against the company, and pay them $879,556.24 in outstanding costs, as well as their legal costs.

It’s understood the council was advised the debt recovery process would be lengthy and costly, and a court would be unlikely to award costs even if council won, and that the council wrote off the rates to facilitate the sale so remaining debt could be recovered, and further legal action against the Champions avoided.