Page 1072 - Week 06 - Thursday, 27 July 1989
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make reference to the fact that the community council is very concerned about this particular matter, as are residents in the valley. The concern is over the level of lighting in parts of the Tuggeranong Valley. One of the areas that comes to my attention is the surrounds and car park of the Erindale Centre. I would like to ask the Chief Minister: What assurance can the valley residents have of the Government's rectifying this problem?
MRS FOLLETT: I thank Mrs Nolan for the question. It is not a matter on which I have any detailed information at the moment so if I may, Mr Speaker, I will take it on notice and get back to Mrs Nolan with a detailed reply.
Rate Increases
MR DUBY: Mr Speaker, my question is also addressed to the Chief Minister and it is in connection with the recent rate increases. Given the Chief Minister's statement that under her first budget charges to individuals would not rise, what are her comments on the increase in rates on commercial properties? I know of one property at Dickson whose unimproved value increased from $200,000 to $700,000 and rates from $3,000 to $12,000 approximately. Does she not agree that these increases will be passed on to ACT consumers, and therefore the community at large will bear the cost of these massive increases?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Duby for the question. I think that I have to repeat that the valuation of ACT land that was recently carried out was done under legislation, as required. It was carried out by the Australian Valuation Office quite independently and, in fact, before this Government came into office. There was, as members will know, in general an increase of 12 per cent on residential properties in the ACT - a very, very modest level of increase - but on commercial properties in the ACT the level of increase was 52.2 per cent; that is, in relation to land that is occupied commercially in the ACT, that was the rise in the value of that land over the period that the revaluation was carried out.
That revaluation was carried out, as I understand it, purely on the ground of sales in the area in recent times. So it is not a matter over which you can exercise a great deal of control. It really is a market forces matter. The commercial property value has risen by 52.2 per cent.
It is quite a high rise over three years; I do admit that. In the budget statement that I released the other day I did indicate that the Government would be looking for an increase in rates to be paid by commercial ratepayers and that that increase would be in the order of 39.7 per cent. So we have kept the increase to below the total increase in the value of their land, and I think that that is probably about the best that the Government can offer in order to
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