Anger at flood risk rates hike

Kim Waters
PROPERTY owners will challenge unexpected rates hikes for homes in areas of Queenscliff deemed at risk from rising seas, according to their spokesperson.
Save600’s Peter Russel said new rates notices showed that council valuations of properties in flood-risk areas had skyrocketed.
Residents had expected that Borough of Queenscliffe’s new planning restrictions to allow for rising seas from climate change would reduce values of about 600 properties in areas mapped to flood.
Mr Russel said increasing valuations and rates was “unfair” if the borough believed the properties would end up underwater.
The rates hike was “just as negative” as decreased land values from the climate change regulations, he said.
“What we’re saying is that there was a lot of activity by State Government and council against our properties and yet they expect to just walk in and claim their money as if nothing happened,” Mr Russel said.
“If the rates had significantly decreased it would have meant that council’s restrictions had negatively affected the value of our land but the significant increase is just as bad.
“Council and State Government can’t tell us our land is worth that much money and make us pay these rates when they’re happy to put huge restrictions on our properties.
“We want the valuer tested and to explain to me that he has taken into account all of these new regulations on coastal development that now apply to our properties. We’re paying these rates for land that might be difficult to sell in the future.”
Mr Russell said the Save600 would use the rates increase to fight council’s interim floodplain management plan.
“It’s not just about paying the rates. “It’s also about council saying that it’s a flood-prone area and imposing all these strict planning controls yet an independent valuer says the land value has increased.”