View Tax backlash: Protesters to march on council chambers

Furious residents who say councillors should ‘hang their heads in shame’ are planning a major escalation in protests against controversial ‘View Tax’ rate rises. Full details

Several hundred residents plan to march on City Hall saying Mayor Tom Tate and his councillors “should hang their heads in shame” about their backflip on the View Tax.

Surfers Paradise resident and organiser David Robinson said two marches, planned for the first full council meeting later this month and the next in February, had the backing of several community groups.

But councillors have dug in on the tax, telling residents said it was not illegal and while there would be a review it was unlikely to change.

Mr Robinson said the community groups supporting the protest were based at Paradise Point in the north through to Elanora and Currumbin in the south.

“Mayor Tom Tate and his councillors should hang their heads in shame for introducing this View Tax,” he said.

Gold Coast unit owners opposed to a View Tax are about to stage protests at City Hall. This is the poster being distributed around apartment blocks.

“Many pensioners live on the Gold Coast, they are in the twilight of their years and this is what the council thinks of them. This tax can be put up yearly, depending on which floor you live on. Your council rates have gone up from 20 per cent to 50 per cent.

“This tax was introduced by former Mayor Ron Clarke, it was removed by current Mayor Tom Tate, and now he and the chief executive officer Tim Baker have introduced it again.”

Mr Robinson said unit owners believe the tax was illegal because councils could only charge rates for a “service, facility or activity” and “a view is not one of those things”.

Both Darren Taylor in Surfers Paradise and Brooke Patterson in Southport have met with angry residents.

Ms Patterson, in a response to a resident, said the council’s decision to change the rating structure was not related to “taxing a view” or unfairly targeting unit owners.

“It is a question of equity, fairness and ensuring all ratepayers pay an appropriate contribution through general rates,” she said.

Ms Patterson said the majority of the apartment owners had been paying the same minimum general rate amount because of the very low “shared” rateable valuations that were calculated for each lot.

Councillor Darren Taylor. Picture: Glenn Campbell.

Councillor Brooke Patterson. Picture: Portia Large.

“This anomaly can be easily demonstrated by the fact that under the former rating structure a high valued unit on the 40th floor was levied the exact same general rates as a unit on the first floor. This was not a fair or equitable outcome,” she said.

The new rating structure recognises the effect that the floor area and level have on the value of the unit and applies an increased general rate in accordance with the principle of valuation based rating, Ms Patterson said.

“That being said, the council is conscious of the current cost of living crisis and the heightened state of anger and distress felt by the community as a result, and we are ready to assist any ratepayers who are struggling to pay their rates,” Ms Patterson said.

She said the firm belief of officers was the new rating structure was fairer and more equitable than the previous approach.

“However, we acknowledge it is not perfect and the council has made a commitment to monitor the success of the new general rate structure over the 2024-25 financial year and beyond,” she said.

“If any necessary changes are identified to enhance the effectiveness of the rating structure they will be considered by council as part of the 2025-26 budget process.”

Mr Robinson said council in its response indicated “only four per cent of the population” would be impacted and “everyone else is not worried about a View Tax”.

He said the View Tax protest marches would start at 10am on February 18 and March 18 when protesters meet at Surfers Paradise beach opposite Montmartre cafe, at the corner of the Esplanade and Elkhorn Avenue.

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