Alderman GARY HASLETT
 serving DARWIN 2012-17

Making Darwin Great Again- Go With Gary

Recently I found this flyer I sent out for the 2000 election. The flyer urges voters to vote for me to help change the attitude of Council. An Extract Reads: 

“If things don’t change you will get:

• Higher Rates & Charges

• Less Free Parking Plus
  New & Increased Parking Fees

• A Soft Line on Itinerants

All my predictions came true! If only they had voted for me things would be different NOW!

So what has actually happened with rates since the year 2000.

Basically the minimum rate has doubled from $520 to $1,0071. What is more alarming is that the actual take of money out of the community has nearly tripled from $21 million to $59 million.

Since I was elected to Council in 2012 my stance has been to call for more transparency in the way the rates figure is determined. For many years I was the only one to vote against the steep increases. I also moved motions to have the rates decision motion to be moved into open so the public could hear the debate. This motion lapsed because no one would second it. All voted for general rates increase of 5.5% (1% above the long term financial plan). Within 3 months of the start of the financial year we had additional income over expenses of more than $2.5 million. This money was transferred into reserve at the first quarterly budget adjustment. At that time 1% of rates as $485,000. So that is equivalent to a 5.15% rate increase. We continued to do well as far as income over expenses was concerned. Clearly a half a percent rates increase would have paid for our budgeted service levels to rate payers.

Since the 21^st Council was elected in 2012 it has collected more than an extra $18 million in rates above the rating level of the 21^st Darwin Council. That is a lot of extra burden when you consider Council has $50 million in reserves to fall back on.  

Minimum Rate in 1999/2000 was $520.15 for all Town Planning Zones. The current Minimum Rate (for "SD" zoned residential properties) is $1,071.00.

General Rates levied for 1999/2000 was $21,076,012 General Rates levied for 2016/2017 is currently $59,637,475

 General Rates income: 

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gary@haslett.com.au 0410 612 142

Authorised by G Haslett Darwin