Bottomline

Absolutely!  Pass the vomit bag!
 
I still see in my mind's eye the then head of th NAB dumping on seniors when the government introduced deeming rates.  Up till that point the banks had been paying pensioners a pittance in interest on pass book accounts 'so they wouldn't lose their pnsions'.  
All that cheap money disappeared when deeming was introduced.
Mind you, there are still banks paying pittances e.g. a Which Bank a/c for a community organisation pays c. 1.5% interest and charges $15 a quarter fees!!!
 
Fergie

More from Alan (Richard) Bond

NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUMS
6 August 2008

I hope the ratepayers who are the employers of council, take notice of having the Neighbourhood Forums (formally Local Area Meetings, formally Neighbourhood Committees) back on board.

We actually need 3 in Ward 1 because of the area being so vast and separated by terrain.

One based at Helensburgh as it is now, same with Coledale, and Thirroul. Different areas with different problems. This proposal would allow ratepayers to tell their employees, the Council, to remove derelict mansions from the escarpment, question why the rates paid in the north are higher than in the south which appears to be solely based on what a real estate agent says a property is worth with a guesstimate, and all other sorts of fun things.

But above all, gives the silenced voice by the former ALP Councillors of the ratepayers back. Let's make that clear, it was only the ALP Councillors, not the Independents, who took away that right.

MAGLEV vs THE ILLAWARRA ESCARPMENT
6 August 2008

Having read the pros and cons on the Maglev debate, no one has yet mentioned just exactly how this Maglev actually gets down our incredibly steep escarpment. Surely the terrain must be level for this Maglev. Where do think part of the word, lev, comes from? It means level.

A tunnel would be too dangerous given the now proven instability of the sandstone structure. Let’s not forget train speed. Inside a tunnel? Come on, now.

As for coming down the cliffside, just exactly where and how on the steep cliffs. Imagine the speed. 300 kph, 500? They’ll end up in New Zealand. That’s a water ride we don’t need.

But what of the people who live in the suburbs from Helensburgh down to the coastal areas. It’d be no use to them.

What is also missing is the complete justification when the Sydney area is only 45 minutes up the road from the Gong or over an hour if you go the Grand Pacific Drive. Quicker if they finished the F6 where we are lucky enough to pay no toll because it is a Freeway. Let's have some indepth realism here.

REDUCING COUNCIL RATES
7 August 2008

When I received the valuation in on my property, I decided to object to the VG placed on it of $415,000.

I have questioned the rating system under WCC and received a reply from them. Once again, this was another issue that Council did not disagree with me on as they went to great lengths to explain the mysteries of the rating system, which still remains a complete mystery. We appear to be charged twice for rates, a flat rate plus a percentage.

This type of rating system also operates in the movie theatre industry. They charge a flat rate for film hire whether you get someone in the door or not. If your film is really a box office hit, they then charge a percentage, and the more you take, the more they raise that percentage. When I questioned this, they said it was a "tradition". I asked was it a law though, and I was told if I didn't like it, I didn't have to get their films!

The reply from the Dept of Lands came and they didn't disagree with me either!!!! Except for the revalue. I suggested $375,000.... they came up with $370,000! $45,000 LESS than the original valuation!

Which just goes to show when the only relevant fact WCC uses to base  the rate on, namely, and I quote, " land values in the northern suburbs increase substantially more than those of the southern suburbs  " is nothing more than a lot of hooey, even if they say it’s more fair. For them, anyway.

Indeed, in view of my precedent, Stanwell Tops residents and all other locals should now write to the Dept of Lands for a revaluation but note the negative impacts on your property. Stick by your guns.

In the end it is saving about an extra 100 bucks a year on my rates, and yes, it is worth the effort. I also reduced the size of my otto bin saving a further $55 a year. My rates have gone from $1678 to about $1525. Still too bloody much for what we get up here from WCC and based on fairy tale guesstimates by real estate agents who want to make money from the people who are silly enough to pay a lot for property. One resident paid $901,000 for a 31 square metre block!

As a point of interest, we pay 0.218962 cents in the dollar; Shoalhaven, 0.162200 (which includes water rates!) and Hornsby, .0013! Now, isn't that really fair!