Residents warned of ‘charges surge’

Kim Waters
Thousands of Bellarine Peninsula residents are unaware they will pay millions of dollars in fees under council user-pays plans, an Ocean Grove resident has warned.
John Hughes said council had told him it would “ultimately like to put footpaths everywhere”, potentially costing residents up to $12,000 each.
Drysdale and Clifton Springs households face drainage works levies of between $1000 and $250,000 each.
Mr Hughes joined 23 other Ocean Grove residents in a petition against a footpath project plan which will leave him with a $5000 charge.
“I’m retired and this is a huge lump sum of money to come up with out of the blue,” he said.
“There are 39 properties already affected where we live and it’s just going to get worse when council starts adding footpaths all along the peninsula.
“People ask me why I’m fighting this so much but what they don’t realise is that pretty soon they too will be asked to hand over this much money.”
Drysdale’s Phillip Bryant said council had been planning its special charge scheme for two years.
“We were sent a letter ages ago about this and council said it would let us know about a special charge incurred by ratepayers for the privilege of having a footpath,” Mr Bryant said.
“Then we all got another letter two years later telling us we were up for a huge amount of money – mine was for $5500 – and that we had to pay it.
“The poor single-wage couple on my right is almost retired and they are up for nearly $9000, five elderly ladies in units next door, including my mum, are up for $3500 each and the young couple on the corner is up for $12,000.”
Mr Bryant said council gave residents an option of paying the levy in installments.
“The first six months is interest-free but after that you get charged interest and you have to pay the full amount within five years,” he said.
“It’s such a tax scam for council and I’m not paying any of it.
“I’m happy to spend 30 days in the local slammer with my mum rather than pay ridiculous costs for footpaths we don’t even want or need.”
Council advertised the charges for the Drysdale and Clifton Springs works on the weekend.
A council spokesperson said the proposed Thacker Street footpaths would be “carried out in line with standard procedures followed in similar works across the municipality”.
Council contractors would comply with all standard occupational health and safety requirements, he said.
Council will vote on the scheme on May 11.