Special Rates Variation no longer an option

By Lua Ikenasio

Feb 11, 2025

Murray River Council has voted to reverse a motion to investigate a potential Special Rates Variation. Photo by Aidan Briggs

During Murray River Council’s January meeting, it was decided the council would not proceed with a Special Rates Variation application.

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Implementing an SRV would have seen rates rise above the annual rate peg increase, a limit set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.

According to Cr Gen Campbell, an SRV would mean added stress to community members who were already doing it tough.

“It’s a sobering reality that over 10 per cent of our ratepayers are struggling to pay their rates,” she said.

“If one in 10 ratepayers are struggling to meet their obligations, it’s not the failure of the individual it’s a failure of the system we oversee and we need to recognise and address this.

“As a council we need to realign with the community we represent ... get our house in order before we go to the people to ask them to pay for the historical cover-ups.”

During the meeting, the council acknowledged the financial hardship that local ratepayers were experiencing and unanimously voted to reverse the initial decision.

The decision to investigate a potential SRV was originally made in June 2024 in response to the council’s financial sustainability issues.

At the time the resolution was adopted, the community was against reductions to services in order to cut costs.

With the SRV no longer going ahead, the council will have to seek out alternative means to rectify the operational deficit in the next two to three years.