By Natalee Kerr
A 50 per cent spike in pet registration fees has left Surf Coast owners paying nearly double the rates levied in neighbouring areas.
Surf Coast will charge about $30 more per pet compared to neighbouring municipalities from April.
The charges for desexed pets will increase 55 per cent from $41.70 to $65, according to the shire .
Charges for desexed dogs in neighbouring municipalities range from $25 in Colac Otway to $45 in Golden Plains.
Surf Coast Shire came under fire for including the higher rates on mailed invoices without previously notifying owners.
The lack of communication and transparency between council and owners was “disappointing“, said 3228 Local Residents Association secretary Sue O’Shanassy.
“Don’t just send out an invoice stating a huge increase in fees without prior warning,” Ms O’Shanassy said.
“There’s been quite a lot of community backlash about it on social media and many people have also complained directly to the council.
“Once the decision was made by council they should’ve immediately explained why the increase was necessary.“
The shire has since apologised, saying on social media it should have explained the increases when distributing the invoices.
“We made a mistake, and are especially sorry that many of you had to get in touch to find out more,” the post said.
The council’s revenue from pet fees this year would increase from $294,151 to $458,510 if all the shire’s registered 6086 dogs and 968 cats were desexed.
The fees would pay for “in-demand” services including extra rangers and vehicles, investigating and managing dog attacks, and pet-owner education, the shire said.
