BATESFORD Golden Plains Residents and Ratepayers Association has elected Stephen Condon as its new president.<\/p>\n
Mr Condon has a background in investment banking and has moved back to Victoria with his family after decades in the UK.<\/p>\n
After buying a property in Batesford and becoming aware of the municipal rates imbalance between postcodes, he\u2019s decided to stand up and lead a \u201csensible, coordinated, tactful effort\u201d to lobby the Golden Plains Shire for the charges to be \u201cmore measured.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve relocated to this amazing, beautiful little town and I want my daughter to grow up here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all got to stand together. The Association\u2019s intention is to be a united and social community group all about the 350 households in Batesford, not just about the rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Condon said the group is working to build a database of residents\u2019 contact details, and create a \u201cstructured and robust\u201d channel for them to log in and communicate on all manner of issues, from rates and roads, to community initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d like to see the Association grow into a broader community forum. Once we have this database, we can identify more topics of concern together, and how we would like to drive the Association going forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As the town is split between the Shire and City of greater Geelong, Mr Condon said the Association also has a goal to work with both municipalities into the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most pressing issue on the Golden Plains side is to seek a resolution to the big rates number, and make it, and the delivery of services, a little bit more proportionate across the whole area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Councillors passed new differential rating categories for the next four years at the February regular meeting, adopting an option which some residents said they were not consulted on.<\/p>\n
The move included a 10 per cent increase for Bannockburn businesses, a five per cent rise for intensive farming and 2.5 per cent more on the broadacre farming rate, as well as $60.60 drop in the municipal charge, which is the base payment all ratepayers make each year regardless of property value.<\/p>\n
In response, Batesford resident Alex Peters launched a Change.org petition in March calling for \u201ctransparency\u201d from the Shire, which received 186 signatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cRatepayers have been overlooked, ignored, and not given the opportunity to give community feedback on the outcome that they decided on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BATESFORD Golden Plains Residents and Ratepayers Association has elected Stephen Condon as its new president. Mr Condon has a background in investment banking and has moved back to Victoria with his family after decades in the UK. After buying a property in Batesford and becoming aware of the municipal rates imbalance between postcodes, he\u2019s decided […]<\/p>\n