DOUBLEVIEW resident Hayley Hamilton said she was in disbelief when the City of Stirling sent her a $2000 bill for streetlights.
Ms Hamilton said she and other residents who were building or redeveloping on Brodie Lane had received bills to pay for their own streetlights as part of a plan to upgrade rights of way.
“My initial reaction was disbelief; I couldn’t understand why I had to pay for my own street light,” she said.
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READ NOW“Basic infrastructure is not a resident’s responsibility and it was a difficult time for us financially, so we couldn’t afford to pay for it.”
The mother of three said she had to pay the bill within a week or construction could not begin and a caveat would be placed on her home and land by the City.
Stirling engineering and design manager Paul Giamov said the lighting contribution was a condition of the development approval under the City’s laneway upgrades contribution plan.
“Owners of properties located within the development contribution area would be liable to contribute towards the cost of installing lighting in the abutting laneway when they subdivide or develop,” he said.
“Since the commencement of the Development Contribution Plan on December 15 2015, the City has received four complaints from property owners/developers in Doubleview.”
Mr Giamov said residents had to pay when or before an application was made for a building permit or within 60 days from when development begins.
He said the City had the authority to lodge a caveat at the owner’s expense if the contribution had not been paid.
Ms Hamilton said she understood the lights would not be installed until 2021.
“Our lane is due for an upgrade in 2021, so they have our money sitting in their bank account for five years,” she said.
“It’s so unfair that young families who are struggling to get by are paying thousands of dollars to the council.”