Forum –
Central Coast Council Administrator, Rik Hart, wants to increase our rates for at least three years at 15 per cent each year and obviously David Farmer, the new Manager of the Council must be in agreement with this as he has not said a word.
Let’s have a look at this little financial idea.
You probably think that at 15 per cent for three years is 45 percent, right?
Wrong.
If you take any figure and add 15 per cent it becomes a new total every time and if that is what they are doing, it will be on the new total every time, therefore at three times, it is actually over 52 percent.
Where do they think this money is coming from?
No-one is getting any pay rises anywhere.
The NSW Government was partly responsible for this financial fiasco and Hart borrows millions of dollars to put aside and not use.
The Government should be paying for that, they rake in billions of dollars in revenue every year but they cry poormouth when asked to do the right thing.
Where are our political representatives from the Central Coast?
Did they work out what Hart was doing with the 15 percent increase, did they not work it out and inform us?
Red light cameras, speed traps, gambling, road tolls (part of them anyway), excise and other taxes – but no money here.
They stand up and tell you all the things they are having done and all the money they are spending to make things better for you.
If it goes wrong and costs more than they said, so what, the people can pay for it. It does not come of their pockets.
Look at the Australia Post fiasco. One person replaced whose sole idea of profit was to raise all prices across the board, regardless.
They replace her with someone else because some of the staff did their job properly, they were given watches that cost thousands of dollars because they did the job they were supposed to do.
What they do not say is this: it’s all your money.
How would you like a job where you can give yourself a pay rise with no reasonable limit?
The greedy are not the needy, they are a disgrace and they want to be re-employed – give me a break.
Email, July 17
Alan Chiron, Blue Haven
The council was, is and will always be inefficient. Rdos sick leave stress leave coupled with a industrial relation that would make a thief blush. Nothing will fix it just more and more money.
100% correct the sneaky way of raising rates. With no consequences or responsibility. The new CEO on $517,000 and Rik on $250,000 it takes 350 ratepayers to bankroll them.
Farmer on $250.00 per hour for some people that is a weeks take home pay! The casual comment that Dick made “the rate raise will soon be forgotten” by him it will be perhaps not be the ratepayers. They are flogging off council assets and not disclosing the amounts have to viewed with suspicion. Having a faux plebiscite on the amount of Councillors and avoiding the real question on de-merger of the councils at a cost to the ratepayers of $1.7 million with no elected representatives overseeing the process. Ratepayers Money being frittered away. How much are they getting for the Gosford council building? Its to pay down debt? Who’s ours or theirs?
I totally agree 👍. We should take action on this issue. How should we go?
I agree with all the comments made by Mike. I would also like to point out that the council is taking from the people who cannot afford to pay higher rates and give to the rich who can well afford to pay. Way are the people in the council being paid such large salaries. Why is the government not being held to account for this mess. We need an independent inquiry not a cover up
I totally agree. This rate rise is unaffordable for the average residents on the peninsula. Why should we pay more, for what, more pot holes and half the area with no curb and gutters. Where are our local politicians, aren’t they elected to deliver more for their area. I think we need a another protest and refuse to pay rates. It’s the only way the media and politicians hear how angry we are and did council forget we’re all in lockdown and they expect us to just find more money. WHERE !! Our kids are being home schooled and now electricity bills will be higher. No help from state government no help from local government.
Absolutely pathetic, how is it possible for these unelected council officials allowed to increase the rates “tax” on the people of the Central Coast, why are they arbitrarily selling public assets, not councils assets but RATEPAYERS assets, I would have no confidence in their motives, as corruption in government’s is rife, especially local, the council has put themselves in the financial predicament, not the ratepayers, the elected councillors need to find a way of fixing their mistakes, the unelected officials are being paid far too much for their mismanagement, I think new management team would help, and paid on performance, reviewed every three months, no so-called bonus’s paid, who gets a bonus for doing their job. Incompetence should never be rewarded.
It’s a total disgrace the way the whole council situation has been played out selling off assets raising rates all of this due to the Baird Government of the time creating council Amalgamation instead of Everyone whinging all northern rate payers (old Wyong shire) including pollies should unanimously raise the issue of deamalgamation
Just a comment on Rik Hart and the Central Coast Council. I wrote a letter to express my shock at the 46% increase in my rates. A rise that no business would be able to impose on any individual without notice or justification. The only response I received on the 4th August was “Your matter is currently being considered and a reply forthcoming”. No response to date, his office thinks I have forgotten?!?!? One word I have for the Central Coast Council and NSW Government Office of Local Government… “Accountability”. Please look it up and understand what it means.
It’s true rates being raised every year is just unjustified theft. Needs public outcry for an open account who is actually benefiting. The cost of food in au is also ridiculously high also quality of produce is poor. I grew up in the 50′ to 70′ better quality produce could live on one wage iwn a house etc au has gone backwards not forward downhill standard of living no matter what government propaganda is being said. The people know those that can remember at least
With this so-called ‘rate adjustment’ our rates have increased by almost 34%, not the supposed 15% & if you extrapolate that over the proposed 15% increase over the next 3 years, our rates then will be more than 50% higher at that time. Also noone from council has given an explanation of what the ‘restricted funds’ are restricted to. Certainly they have not been used for essential services, such as roads, footpaths & the like, which should be the council’s main focus.
The base rate was increased from $300 to $565 an increase of around 83% this applies to units , flats , apartment’s etc this rise in the base rate will not affect stand alone homes . My rates are $1,085,00 per year , my unit is middle of the road for the building of 45 units in all , the building sits on what was 5 housing blocks , you do the math. We were definitely better of with Wyong council before the forced amalgamation that was supposed to make the rates cheaper .
So many IF’s in this article.
If *this*, then oh my god.
If *that*, then wholey moley.
Typical puff piece when If you really want to write a story, get your facts first, then respond.
So far, it’s all based on assumptions and worst-case scenarios.
Personally I’m for the rate rise. And I don’t even have a job, but I still have to pay my mortgage and put food on the table. I’d rather three years of pain, than a lifetime of sub-par services.
They should get off their arse and take a drive to Gunderman 2775, and see that the only service we get is garbage collection, but we pay for all the services that are received in Gosford, we have tank water, septic toilets no kerb and gutter, roads are full of potholes and landslides that haven’t been fixed for years, trees and shrubs growing across roads, I could add more but it falls on deaf ears anyway, we in this area should be compensated not penalised.
I thought Ned Kelly was Dead until I found out what Gosford City Councils current Administration has been presiding over … and not even a word from Gladys to bring them into line! Last time I will ever vote Liberal again and I know I’m not alone!
Gosford council are dickheads it makes me want to sell my place and move to another council area been on the central coast over 30 years they have rocks in there head asking people on the pension for more money wake up to yourself you idiots in Gosford council are dickheads we someone to run the show properly