Bendigo homes slugged with a 10% rate rise

A suburb-by-suburb breakdown of the proposed 2016-17 rates is at the bottom of this article.  

They thought they were promised their rates would not rise by more than 2.5 per cent. 

But the Allen-Hill family were one of several in Bendigo to learn they will be slugged with a rate bill 10.6 per cent higher than the last. 

Both Jeremy Allen – a mechanic – and child-care worker Kirsty Hill reacted with one word.

“Unbelievable,” Mr Allen said. 

“Why?” Ms Hill said. 

“How can they justify that kind of rise?” she went on.

“This is a pretty industrial area.” 

The family have lived in their McDougall Street home – “which the bank will own for the next 20 years” – for eight years, raising 14-year-old son Sam and 16-year-old daughter Jessica. Sharing the digs is Angus the kelpie. Out the back is the neighbourhood sheep. 

They won’t be the only family in Bendigo confused and angry over the rate rise. 

This year the state government set its much vaunted rate cap at 2.5 per cent. However, it coincided with a property revaluation year, upon which councils calculate their rates. The result is that, while the City of Greater Bendigo as a whole will raise its rates by 2.5 per cent, some neighbourhoods will pay more than that, while others will pay less. 

Related: Bendigo’s biggest-spending budget ever

Speaking at the release of the city’s property valuations last month, city organisation support director Kerryn Ellis said she would be “very surprised” if people weren’t confused when they received their rates. Councils across the state have blamed the state government for the state of affairs, saying it applied simplistic populism to a complicated process. 

When council released its draft 2016-17 Budget this month, the document revealed just how confused ratepayers of Bendigo should be.

The budget provides a breakdown of the valuation change for each suburb in Greater Bendigo, along with the corresponding rate change. 

Twenty eight suburbs are set to see their rates decrease on last year. Jackass Flat ratepayers would see their rates dropped by 5.8 per cent, while in Myers Flat that decrease would be 5.5 per cent. For the 12 properties in Eaglehawk North, it would be 2.9 per cent. 

Under the draft budget, more than 3000 properties in Bendigo would see a rate increase of 8.3 per cent, while 1109 properties in Quarry Hill and 104 properties in Mandurang South would see an increase of more than 6 per cent.