Peninsula beach box owners take legal move to bin waste levy
MORNINGTON Peninsula beach box owners have launched legal action to get a waste service levy binned.
South East
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MORNINGTON Peninsula beach box owners have launched legal action to get a waste service levy binned.
Beach box association president Chris Maine confirmed his group had filed an application in the Supreme Court for a judicial review of the levy — contained in recent rate notices to owners.
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Mr Maine said members were angry over being hit with the levy, particularly as their beach boxes did not have bins with waste that was collected.
“It’s inequitable. There’s no waste services for boat sheds and bathing boxes,” he said.
“They look after their own rubbish.”
Mr Maine said more than 92 per cent of people who owned beach boxes owned residences in Mornington Peninsula Shire.
“They make their (financial) contribution, which puts them on an equal footing with everybody else.”
Mr Maine said the owners ultimately wanted the waste services levy to be declared invalid.
Council chief financial officer Matthew Green said the waste service charge was intended to recoup the full cost of services for the community.
In a statement, Mr Green said this included all waste collections, disposals, street sweeping, footpath sweeping, beach cleaning, street and drain litter collections, as well as provision for future works on landfill areas.
“The charge is therefore a recovery of all waste costs, not just bin collection and street cleaning immediately adjacent to your property.
“This charge applies to all rateable properties including commercial and industrial properties, boatsheds/berths and vacant land that do not receive bin collection service.”
Mr Green said as part of the council’s budget, it had not separated rates charges on the basis of services received.
“This approach is consistent across the shire and consistent across all of the services provided.”
No date has yet been set for the judicial review.
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