Newsletter EDITION No.10 - 06.02.2017 - resized

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Strengthening our community now to grow and prosper into the future
Media Release
Corrigin urges the
Government to
reconsider axing
Local Government
vehicle licensing and
stamp duty
concessions
With the State Government’s recent axing of the
vehicle licensing and stamp duty concessions for
local governments, ratepayers within the Shire of
Corrigin could face an annual bill of more than
$80,000 annually from July 1 2017.
The WA Local Government Association has hit out
at the plan which will cost WA councils millions in
additional licensing and stamp duty fees each year.
President of the Shire of Corrigin, Cr Lyn Baker
said it would be a significant extra cost burden.
“With the axing of the vehicle licensing and stamp
duty concessions for local governments, the State
Government is placing an extraordinary burden on
local communities to improve the State’s budget
position. It will be difficult for our Shire to absorb
these additional costs and Council will need to
consider increasing rates or reducing services to
pay for it,” she said.
Cr Baker said the Shire has assessed the impact
on its budget and how it can be funded.
“The Shire of Corrigin has undertaken the exercise
of calculating the likely financial impact the removal
of the exemption vehicle license fees and stamp
duty will have on the Shire and the Corrigin
community. The impact of removing the exemption
vehicle license fees (based on the current licensing
fees) on the Shire will be around $54,000 per
annum. The impact of the stamp duty (based on
current stamp duty costs) cost over a 10 year
period for the Shire will be approximately
$275,000 ! Based on an average cost per annum,
on current values the Shire would need to find at
least an additional $80,000 revenue per annum
(about 4% of rates) to cover the additional State
Government fees.” she said.
WALGA president Cr Lynne Craigie said the
delivery of services to the community could suffer.
“It’s disappointing to see the State engage in cost
shifting such as this on the one hand, and then
criticise councils for rates increases on the other,”
she said.
“By taking away these concessions,
Councils will have to fund the shortfall
through increased rates or diminished
services to their community”.
“We all recognise the State needs to remedy its
dire financial situation, however instead of
redressing overspend or achieving genuine savings
this decision is just another example of cost shifting
from the State to Local Government.”
Cr Baker urged the State Government not increase
costs to local communities to find another solution
for its Budget bottom line.