Protest against the extreme rates of Armidale Regional Council | Other

Protest against the extreme rates of Armidale Regional Council

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17.01.2022 Please email this submission to council and edit it as you wish. The more people who email them the better chance we will have of being heard. Here is their email address for submissions [email protected]... Submissions close midnight, thursday the 10th December 2020 Statement of opposition to increasing or maintaining the current level of rates. The rates are really stifling growth in the region - over the last decade real estate prices have gone up by about 1% per year whereas the rate peg has averaged 2.5% per year. The rate peg alone is outgrowing the region. When you take into account increases in other charges like the 60% increase in water rates, other rate notice charge increases as well as the current and proposed special rate variations we have averaged an annual rate notice increase of 3.8% per year over the last decade. It's not sustainable. On top of the long term problem of rates outgrowing the local economy, nationally we are in the middle of the most significant economic downturn for 70 years. Furthermore the community is recovering from the effects of bushfires and the worst drought in the history of rainfall recording. Livestock numbers have been reduced by 50% due to the drought. The price of wool has declined by 50% due to the coronavirus induced global spending shutdown. Although livestock prices are at a record high, this is a reflection of drought induced reduced supply rather than increased consumer demand. Producers aren’t actually profiting from high livestock prices because they simply don’t have livestock to sell. People on the land will experience an income reduction of approximately 75% this year. One of the town's major employers - the University of New England, has announced it will be cutting 200 jobs to balance its budget. Only months ago Woolworths group announced a list of big W stores that it will be closing to maintain the business’ financial viability, one of them in Armidale. Additionally to this there are many small businesses too numerous to mention (including, but not limited to retail) that have closed down. The council needs to recognise that there is simply less money in the community and there is going to be even less once these jobs and business leave. It cannot go on spending as much as it has been, and it needs to live within its means as does everyone else. Finally, due to the detailed forensic accounting report on council spending, we have now become aware of the $4.2 million over budget spend on moving the town library from the cbd to it’s new location. This was done without any desire from the community at a time when the councillors were suspended due to the forced amalgamation of Guyra and Armidale/dumaresq councils under the state government. Armidale regional council were not responsible for this error, the state made this mistake, and the local ratepayers are being forced to pay for it. This is unjust. Thank you for taking the time to consider my submission

16.01.2022 Protest made it into the newspaper today

11.01.2022 Have your say about the proposed special rate variation of 20%