Average Burwood Council ratepayer to pay $255 extra

Burwood residents will pay an average of $255 extra in rates by 2023 if the council’s request for a rate hike gets the green light.

Homeowner Victor Lakomy is not happy about Burwood Council’s plan to increase rates, again. (AAP IMAGE/Jordan Shields).

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BURWOOD residents will pay an average of $255 extra in rates by 2023 if the council’s request for a rate hike gets the green light.

The council has applied for a special rate variation (SRV) of 2 per cent above the rate peg each year for the next four years.

The cumulative 19.5 per cent increase will raise an extra $2 million for stormwater infrastructure projects.

A council spokesman said 66 per cent of ratepayers would pay less than $4 a week extra by the final year and the average total additional payment for ratepayers will be $255.

The extra cash would help the council plug a significant infrastructure backlog.

“An SRV will help reduce our infrastructure backlog from $20.3 million to $7.7 million over the next 10 years,” he said.

“Without an SRV, we will only be able to reduce the backlog to $18.8 million.”

An increase to the Additional Pensioner Rebate Scheme will ensure pensioners are not negatively impacted.

Homeowner Victor Lakomy said he did not want to be slugged with higher rates after the council already jacked up rates by 26.5 per cent from 2014-2018.

“Burwood Council rates are already almost double the rates for Lidcombe in Cumberland Council, which provide better and more services in my opinion,” Mr Lakomy said.

He said Cumberland trumps Burwood in the mowing and maintenance of nature strips, footpath renewal and in the provision of healthy living and “lifelong learning” programs.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) will inform council on May 14 if the SRV has been approved.

The council spokesman said they had undertaken “extensive consultation” on applying for the SRV.

“Although we have taken great steps to become a more efficient and financially sustainable organisation, and managed to improve the condition of our local infrastructure through an extensive capital works program, there still remains a significant infrastructure backlog that we will not be able to reduce without additional income,” he said.

“We will continue to provide information to our ratepayers throughout the application process and after, including newsletters and updates on stormwater projects that have been completed through SRV funding.”