To encourage proper management of land and/or buildings on that land, Moreland City Council has introduced differential rates for the 2006–2007 rating year.
The differential rating system – for vacant land (on which no building is erected) and unoccupied land (where a building is erected but is determined to be unfit for human habitation) – is targeted directly at landowners who allow their sites to deteriorate and become unsafe, posing a risk to public safety or amenity.
The scheme is about achieving standards that meet community expectations, more than it is about raising revenue.
For the fourth year running, Moreland City Council has delivered on its long term financial plan to keep rate increases at 6.5 per cent per annum, a significant achievement considering the demands and cost pressures on Local Government.
Cost shifting from both Federal and State Governments is an ongoing concern and the windfall taxes that they receive from GST and fuel excise unfortunately are not passed on to local Councils.
Moreland’s total rates revenue for the 2005–2006 financial year was $62.5 million.
