IPART Says No to Lockhart Rate Increase

Council to Stick to 1.5% Rate Peg


Article heading image for IPART Says No to Lockhart Rate Increase

Lockhart Shire Council has expressed its disappointment at the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s decision not to approve its request for a special rate increase.

Council applied for permission to implement a cumulative rate increase of 4.6% per year for the next seven years, saying it wanted the money for swimming pool refurbishments, flood mitigation works and road restoration.

IPART found that council did not demonstrate a need for the requested increase, and the community was not made sufficiently aware of its full impact.

Chair Peter Boxall says with the council estimating it has a $4.2 million net cash balance, a zero infrastructure backlog and predicting surpluses over the next 10 years, the Tribunal found Council is likely to be able to fund the projects without a rate increase.

9 May 2017




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