Redland ratepayers could be hit with an annual “Disaster levy” - possibly as much as a 2 per cent rate hike - if recommendations from this year’s Productivity Commission report into natural disaster funding are upheld.
The productivity report, released in September, recommends slashing federal disaster funding by 25 per cent and forcing state governments and local councils to pick up the tab.
Redland mayor Karen Williams met with state Local Government Minister David Crisafulli and eight other mayors this morning to voice her concerns.
Cr Williams said under the commission’s proposal the federal government would cut its disaster contribution from 75 per cent to 50 per cent.
But an even greater worry, she said, was boosting the “trigger figure” for funding eligibility from $240,000 to $2million, so disasters costing less than $2million would not get any federal money.
“Under this proposal Redland ratepayers would have had to foot a large slice of the $1.8million clean-up bill from the Stradbroke fires in January,” Cr Williams said.
“The commission mentioned councils should levy residents to make up for the loss in federal disaster funding which would be another burden on the ratepayer.
“If Redland ratepayers had to pay for the Straddie fires all on their own, that would equate to about a 2 per cent general rate increase.”
Cr Williams said Redland City was unique as it had many exposed islands and was prone to bushfires.
Mr Crisafulli said vital infrastructure would either be left in ruins or ratepayers would be forced to pay huge repair bills if the proposed were adopted.
This morning’s meeting of mayors decided to write to the federal government asking it to reject the commission’s two proposals which made it harder to claim federal disaster funding.
The mayors’ plea was not for increased funding but rather for the current arrangements to be maintained, Cr Williams said.
Bowman MP Andrew Laming said it was too early to comment on the draft report.
"The Commission is currently in Queensland undertaking further consultations on its draft report. Once we receive and consider the final report, I’ll be able to respond.
The commission's final report will be tabled in December.
