Rates rescindment rejected

GOLDEN Plains Shire council’s new rating strategy will go ahead despite further pushback from some councillors during last weekend regular meeting.

The move to implement a new rating plan is a departure from the old strategy, which was approved just over two years ago by the previous council.

The new plan includes rates increases for Bannockburn businesses and farmers, alongside a $60.60 drop in the municipal charge.

Cr Owen Sharkey put forward a motion to rescind last month’s decision by council and said council’s process did not fall under “good governance.”

“The decision that we’re making on this rate payment strategy affects each and every ratepayer, 100 per cent of the community. It’s something that we need to get 100 per cent correct

“Yes, we had face-to-face with some parts of the community, but there were some parts of the community that asked, pleaded for face-to-face and we didn’t give it to them.”

Cr Sharkey cited both an unconfirmed letter of consultation to the Batesford community and Cr Ian Getsom’s over 12-minute absence during last meeting’s motion as key factors in his push to rescind the decision.

Speaking against the motion, Cr Brett Cunningham argued that through both online and in-person meetings, and two workshops, councillors carried out appropriate consultation with the community.

“The majority of councillors attended the two rating strategy workshops that were held over a period of about six hours,” he said.

“At these workshops, councillors had the opportunity to take part in robust discussions put forward their thoughts and review applicable modelling options.

“For whatever reasons unknown to his fellow councillors, Cr Sharkey elected not to attend these workshops and apparently disengaged himself from the ratings strategy process.

“Council did listen, considered and then made small adjustments that resulted in the alternative motion that is to be implemented.”

Two options on a new rating strategy Shire were put forward by municipal officers during February’s regular council meeting. They were known as option one and two.

The two options were selected from a list of over twenty complied by consultants and were the only two possibilities formally put to Shire residents and ratepayers during a lengthy consultation process on redrawing the municipality’s rating strategy.

Subsequently at the February meeting a third alternative, known as option five was carried by a majority of councillors.

Yet Cr Helena Kirby claimed that a day prior to that meeting Cr Sharkey put forward other options for consideration, known as options seven and eight.

“For transparency and good governance, these options were not brought to the table during the workshops and were then not put out to the public for consultation,” she said.

“With your motion to rescind, you cannot have your cake and eat it too, councillor.”

Options seven and eight were not put councillors for consideration during either the February or March regular council meetings.

Ultimately, Cr Sharkey’s motion to rescind was lost with only himself and Cr Les Rowe voting in support of it.