Residents from areas outside the town of Northam have presented a petition to the Shire of Northam council contesting this year’s rates rise.
Bakers Hill resident Brian Daniels presented the petition to the Shire on behalf of ratepayers in his town, Wundowie, Clackline, Spencers Brook and Grass Valley during a council forum meeting on Wednesday, September 12.
The petition signed by 141 constituents said those involved don’t believe the Shire has acted in their interest and that districts outside the town of Northam receive ‘little or no benefit’.
Mr Daniels said the reason for the petition is based around two matters; rates and lack of amenities in outside townships.
”We are without decent roads, decent drainage, the crossovers are washed away,” he said.
“It’s a dangerous situation in a lot of town sites outside of Northam.
“Following on from that we have been pushing the Shire through the community meetings for eight years and we have got absolutely nowhere.”
Mr Daniels said councillors are not doing enough to make resident’s concerns known.
“The council needs to sit down with the people to find out what is actually happening,” he said.
“They don’t do that. We pay them and elect them.
“It’s like all politicians, you say an awful lot of things before you get elected but once you get elected it’s a whole different ball game.
“If the council have got community's interests at heart they will do something about it.
“We weren’t able to speak last night so why don’t the councillors do it for us?”
Under the Shire of Northam’s Standing Orders Local Law 2008 members of the public are only allowed to make a public statement at a council meeting if the issue is listed within the agenda.
The petition was taken on notice and the Shire of Northam will make a response ‘in due course’.
Mr Daniels said the ideal outcome from the petition is a rates review.
“I don’t mind paying rates if I get something back for it,” he said.
“You don’t go out and buy something you don’t get value from.
“We want fair funding from the rates.
“We want the drainage issues sorted.
“It’s not difficult.”
The Shire of Northam president Chris Antonio said the general rate increase for the 2018/19 budget was 2.5 percent.
“This was one-percent less than the increase identified in the Councils long term financial plan, however Council felt that the current economic climate warranted this decision,” he said.
“The Council acknowledges that the change from UV to GRV has created some angst in the community, however, these changes were to address anomalies within the rating system.
“They were widely advertised to the community and at that point in time, Council received minimal negative feedback.
“This decision was first made by Council in 2010 and then approved for final implementation by Council in 2015.”
