Residents from Eleven Villages Join Forces to Battle Council Rate Cuts

Over 600 residents from eleven retirement villages attended a Casey Council meeting, protesting that rates should be reduced for villages because the Council only collects rubbish, with the residents paying the village operator for all other council services like repairs to roads and paths, gutter and drain cleaning, lighting, mini-bus transport “and everything else you can think of.” Residents called out “This is what you call people power,” and “This is only the beginning.” Village Rates Committee Chairman Les Smith delivered an emotional plea on behalf of the residents and said the council was guilty of “double dipping.” “The council thinks it’s OK to discriminate against us, instead of helping,” he said. Councilor Brian Heatherton said it was not an easy thing to reduce rates because a reduction in one place meant rates had to be made up elsewhere. The Council did not accept the residents’ bid (for now).