Rate payer says rates jumped from $777 to $1028

Elizabeth Venzin said her quarterly rates had risen from $777 to $1028.

She said the rise on her vacant block was unfair.

She has written to Redland City Council chief executive Bill Lyon, asking for a review.

A council spokesman said the main factor for the increase in Ms Venzin’s rates was a 20 per cent jump in its valuation from the Natural Resources Department.

“To put this into perspective, the average increase for vacant land in the Redlands was 5.2 per cent,’’ he said.

“In comparison to other suburbs in the Redlands, Wellington Point has had the steepest increase in value.’’

The spokesman said the property also had changed rating categories from 2bv to 2c.

This change was made as part of the ongoing rationalisation of rating categories across the city to introduce consistency.

Rating Category 2C combined all developable vacant land across the city into one rating category.

This occurred after council abandoned an old rating model for vacant land under which properties with a value of more than $305,000 received a 25 per cent discount in the rate in the dollar.

This year, with the rationalisation of rating categories, council adopted a single rate in the dollar model for vacant land which helped push up her bill. 

Ms Venzin said the increases were unwarranted.

“I feel this is very unfair,’’ she said. “...I am a single woman who was hoping to build my retirement home there and these unfair costs just add to my stress.’’