By Violet Li
Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) is calling on the Casey Council to freeze council rates for the next financial year.
The draft budget, which proposes an average of 3 per cent rate increase in line with the cap set by the State Government, was endorsed in the April Casey Council Meeting for the community consultation.
This is the first budget after the elected council returned to the Bunjil Place.
CRRA vice president Anthony Tassone pointed out the rate cap is higher than the last reported Consumer Price Index for February, which was 2.4 per cent.
He said that residents are already feeling the pinch in everyday cost-of-living challenges from paying for their groceries to their mortgages.
“A freezing of rates which is directly within the control of the Council would be greatly welcomed and is necessary for our community,” he said.
Several survey outcomes by the Council show multiple signs of financial stress in the community, Mr Tassone said.
About 40 per cent of those surveyed had experienced some kind of food insecurity in the last 12 months, according to Council Plan 2025-29.
About 11 per cent had run out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more, higher in women (13 per cent), families with children (14 per cent) and growth areas (15 per cent).
About 34 per cent had skipped a medical appointment in the 12 months due to cost and 32 per cent had skipped seeing the dentist.
About 41 per cent had been unable to participate in social or cultural activities due to cost in the previous 12-month period.
“As outlined in the Council’s own financial reports, the City of Casey is in a ‘financially strong position, with high levels of reserves it can mobilise’,” Mr Tassone said.
“The council has the means to deliver a freezing of rates without compromising its ability to continue to deliver essential services.
“This is a great opportunity for the Council’s leadership to demonstrate a high level of understanding of what the community is currently tackling whilst still being fiscally responsible with the Council’s finances.
“We also ask the Council to do what it can to promote awareness of its rate payment and hardship policy and how they are able to demonstrate hardship to seek assistance.”
Mr Tassone noted that during the Casey council elections last year, multiple candidates, including some that were successfully elected as councillors, promised voters that they would advocate for a reduction of council rates.
“We would welcome this advocacy, but have not yet seen it,” he said.
When asked by the public what advocacies the Council had undertaken or would undertake to reduce the rates at the April Meeting, Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said the new Council carefully considered whether to request an exemption to set the rate levels above the 3 per cent cap.
“As the council agrees, we work to ensure an exemption was not necessary and that our rates remain within the 3 per cent cap,” he said.
“We believe this decision is crucial for our residents, particularly due to the increased cost families are facing.
“We acknowledge the cost-of-living challenges that many ratepayers are facing and the impacts of increased costs across the economy.
“We’re committed as a council to balancing the need for essential services and community improvements with the financial well-being of our residents.”
Cr Koomen also noted that as a candidate himself, his election promise was to be committed to ensuring that the council delivers the best value for ratepayers’ funds and that they are used effectively to improve our community.
The budget, including the rates arrangement, will be open to community consultation from 17 April to 8 May via the website Casey Conversations.
