JANUARY 10, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
(Shawn Smits)
Disco dazzle for Melton After a 15-year hiatus, Melton’s Blue Light Disco returned last month – so successfully, police have decided to host the much-loved event bi-monthly. Acting Sergeant Rob Dampier said members were looking forward to busting out their dance moves with the town’s youngsters more often. “The Blue Light Disco gives young people somewhere to go in a safe environment [and] allows for safe and pleasant interactions with police,” he said. “They see we’re human and that we’re not the ogres they sometimes perceive us to be. The feedback from everyone was that it was a roaring success.” About 60 children, aged between seven and 12, attended the disco at the Gap on Graham. Acting Sergeant Dampier said they’re hoping for bigger turnouts in the year ahead. The next Blue Light Disco, for children aged seven-12, will be held on Friday, February 10, from 6-8pm, at the Gap on Graham, 5 Graham Street, Melton. Entry costs $5. Passouts and backpacks are not allowed and children must be dropped off and collected by parents or guardians. For more information, email stephen. turner@police.vic.gov.au or valturner57@ bigpond.com. RUBY, 5, AND LEADING SENIOR CONSTABLE JO MUTSAERTS (FRONT)
Sumeyya Ilanbey
Councils face rate crunch By Sumeyya Ilanbey Rate rises are set to be capped at two per cent in the next financial year, with Melton and Moorabool councils announcing they won’t increase rates above the state governmentimposed limit. Rate increases will be capped at two per cent in 2017-18, in line with the consumer price index. Melton council chief executive Kel Tori said while no services had been pared back since the rate cap regime was introduced last year, the council had been “constrained” in its ability to
expand existing services. His concerns have been echoed by local government advocates, including the Municipal Association of Victoria, a parliamentary inquiry finding, the auditor-general and independent assessments of states operating under a rate cap regime. MAV interim president Coral Ross slammed the government for spruiking its “fair go political propaganda” while increasing property taxes by 5.2 per cent and state employee expenses by 7.8 per cent. “Councils did well to protect communities from service cuts last year,” Cr Ross said, “but this will become harder as the cost of delivering services and meeting local infrastructure
renewal needs don’t reflect the CPI, which the government had used to set its rate cap.” Moorabool council applied to increase rates by 3.5 per cent in the past financial year, but chief executive Rob Croxford said it would not be applying to the Essential Services Commission for a variation this year. He expects rate revenue to be down $15 million in the next decade, capital expenditure down $12 million and accumulated losses to top $3 million. Victorian Local Governance Association president Sebastian Klein said this “squeeze” would be passed on to ratepayers. He accused the state government of relying on “populist
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policy” rather than reforming the sector. Mr Tori said this year’s two per cent cap would limit funds available to council to undertake infrastructure or expand services. “Council has generally opposed the imposition of a rate cap as it’s contrary to the concept of local government as an autonomous level of government,” he said. “Council has managed its resources and expenditure to accommodate the cap. This will continue in the medium term, but in the longer term it poses a threat to … infrastructure and services.” The average saving to Moorabool households per year will be about $35, according to the Australian Services Union. C AUTOMATI A TR $1,000 EX Multimedia Sat Nav 355L boot space LED Daytime Running Lights
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