Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH city council is boasting that its residential rates will rise by a mere 1.6 per cent, keeping them in line with CPI.

Trouble among the brass (CCC investigations into the lord mayor, former CEO Gary Stevenson taking an unexpected early exit, half the council falling afoul of travel contribution reporting rules) haven’t affected the bottom line for the ratepayer on the street, who’s paying a rate that “compares favourably with all neighbouring councils” according to PCC staff.

The office sector is the largest contributor to rates but still cost more to service than the city gets back, since they pay such a low base rate.

But the PCC might not be able to eke even that much out of them in future years: the resource fizz means the CBD vacancy rate was close to 20 per cent as of the end of January this year, a 21-year high. So next time the places are valued for how much they can be rented out for (the way rates are devised) they’ll be valued much lower, creating a headache down the road.

The preliminary rates will go out to advertising and then councillors will have the final call come budget time.

by DAVID BELL