Merivale rates
Sir, — I was fascinated by D. J. Rowland’s letter (“The Press,” August 7) stating that I received a “bonus” of $67,500 in my latest Government valuation. This “bonus” costs me an extra $728 in rates a year and the only way I can realise this “bonus” is if I sell my property. I appreciate that all ratepayers should not pay the same, as an allowance for valuation variations must be made, but I thought rates were primarily a services, not a property or wealth, tax. The correspondent cited many young property owners with heavy mortgage commitments in the eastern suburbs. Many of such people, as well as superannuitants and others on fixed incomes live in Merivale. Now all face the equivalent of an extra mortgage — their rates. He concluded by saying that “long-term property owners in Merivale are doing very nicely,” but they will become a rarity unless a more equitable rating system is introduced. — Yours, etc.,
MIKE ROBERTSON. August 7, 1985.
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Press, 9 August 1985, Page 16
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164Merivale rates Press, 9 August 1985, Page 16
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