IN response to concerns raised by Indigo Shire Council’s (ISC) deputy mayor, Bernard Gaffney at council meeting, August 27, the director of planning and corporate services, Greg Pinkerton, said he does not know the reason for the 21 per cent increase in rate defaulters in the past year.

After the release of ISC’s 2023-2024 Draft Budget, council staff and councillors were warned that the differential rating strategy used by ISC would result in excessively high rate increases for Rural 1 property owners.

That is, the average increase in general rates for farmers would be more than six times the 3.5 per cent rate cap set by the Minister for Local Government.

ISC council staff and councillors were also provided with a simple solution which eliminates these excessive rate increases and distributes the increases equitably across all property categories.

But they have refused to consider it.

With the average increase in general rates for commercial-industrial properties set to increase by almost six times this year’s 2.75 per cent rate cap, it should come as no surprise if the increase in rate defaulters continues.

Herb Ellerbock, Rutherglen