ARARAT - A submission to the Victorian Grants Commission by Ararat Rural City Council requesting the Commission to take account of non-rateable properties in its calculation of standardised rate revenue to reflect the services Council provides to these properties did not meet with success.
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Cr Gwenda Allgood said Council had also taken their submission to the Municipal Association of Victoria conference where it had met with support.
"It was worth a try. I just thought because we had so much property that was unrated that somebody would listen," she said.
"I found it really interesting that it went to the MAV conference and it got the support of all the other municipalities and councils but it didn't do much good (at the Grants Commission)."
In its submission, Council also requested the Commission to review the calculation of standardised user fees and charges to take account of each Council's access to alternative revenue streams and suggested incorporating growth in the rate base as a means of calculating a community's capacity to pay rather than movement in valuations.
"At least we've been able to put something up that actually got through and it's good to know there are a lot of other people in the same boat as we are, even though we didn't get very far," Cr Allgood said.
"We need to keep pushing these things because it's our responsibility to draw these anomalies to the attention of the people.
"The Grants Commission actually told us to put that submission in because they believed it would help us a little bit, it didn't, but we've done the right thing, we've certainly tried and made our voices heard."
