Local governments have accused the Andrews government of offloading hundreds of millions of dollars worth of costs onto them, putting services in jeopardy. springst councils
Infrastructure Victoria wants Melbourne’s seven growth areas — Melton, Wyndham, Hume, Mitchell, Whittlesea, Cardinia and Casey — to receive up to $200,000 each from the state government to plan aquatic centres and another $100,000 to begin planning to build libraries, and add extra cash to help build them.
that would have forced councils to exempt housing providers from paying council rates. Labor and advocates argued everyone had a role to play in reducing the housing waitlist of more than 50,000.Stonnington Council estimated the package — which was thrown out after a backlash from the property sector — would have cost its budget more than $1.3 million, or about 1 per cent of revenue from rates and charges.
A government spokeswoman said the capped system was introduced to limit uncontrolled rate hikes and reduce cost-of-living pressures.in December estimated the caps would slash gross domestic product by up to $890 million this year, in research commissioned by the Australian Services Union, by limiting employment and spending.
Ratepayers Victoria, which believes rate capping is a farce because individual bills could still increase two or three times higher as a result of the booming housing market, said the Andrews government had pushed almost every state responsibility onto councils. Campaspe Shire Council, which takes in Echuca and Kyabram in the state’s north, also complained it was increasingly shouldering the cost of the service, with the Victorian government paying 35 per cent of the cost of the council’s crossing attendants.
“It is forcing councils to have difficult conversations about services they currently provide, despite the fact we know every council in the state is being asked to do more by their communities, not less,” Cr Clark said.
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