City of Canning rates to rise by 2.8 per cent after council adopts budget

RESIDENTIAL rates are set to rise by 2.8 per cent and capital works to receive a $40 million boost in the City of Canning after the council adopted the budget for 2018-19.

The rate in the dollar has risen from $0.04412 last year to $0.04537 over the next financial year.

In comparison, just one of the City’s neighbouring councils (the Town of Victoria Park at 3 per cent) approved a higher rate in the dollar rise. The City of Melville increased its residential rates 0.9 per cent, while the City of South Perth approved a 1.6 per cent increase and the City of Gosnells 1.9 per cent.

Overall, rates and charges, including waste and security, for the average residential property within the City will rise by 2.59 per cent.

It is the first rates approval since the council adopted its new differential rating system, which it says will enable it to vary the impact of rates on different categories of land to ensure an equitable contribution.

Mayor Paul Ng said the 2018-2019 budget would help achieve the City’s strategic community plan and aligned its long term financial plan with a reasonable rate increase.

The total budget for the upcoming financial year is $150m, with road works ($10m), City Centre project ($9.7m) and park improvements ($4m) the big winners.

More than $2m will be spent on improvements to public buildings, with $805,000 allocated for sports lighting improvements and $800,000 set aside for footpaths.

Community and safety services will receive $2.2m in funding, with improvements planned for the City’s CCTV network and new mobile messaging, while $1.3m has been set aside for the community support program.