By NIKKI TODD
KINGSCLIFF-based community group Tweed Monitor has slammed a motion by Councillor Warren Polglase to investigate the imposition of an environment levy on ratepayers.
Cr Polglase was last week successful in gaining support for his idea to investigate the possibility of imposing a one per cent levy on ratepayers – equating to a $13 per year rate hike – to establish a stand-alone environment protection fund.
The proposal, supported by all councillors except Mayor Barry Longland, would provide a way to circumnavigate rate capping and increase council’s bottom line to help free up funds for much-needed council infrastructure like road maintenance.
Council staff will prepare a report on the proposal ahead of the November council meeting.
But Tweed Monitor spokesman Jerry Cornford, whose group is spearheading a campaign to save Crown land at Kingscliff known as Lot 490 from development, said the motion “insulted the intelligence of ratepayers”.
“If Cr Polglase is genuinely concerned about a potential shortfall in the roads budget, why doesn’t he just come out and call the proposed levy what it is: “A Great Big Roads Tax,” Mr Cornford said.
“There’s absolutely no need to target by association the majority of environmentally-minded ratepayers.”
Mr Cornford said the levy was farcical as it would only raise $503,000 per year.
“This is peanuts compared with the $5 million council will raise in rates from the Kings Forrest development and a similar amount from Cobaki Lakes,’’ he said.
“The Tweed has already endured seven years of rates in excess of the IPART rates limit, yet with another huge input to come from the two largest new residential developments on the East Coast of Australia, Cr Polglase is still crying poor.”
Meanwhile, Tweed Monitor has collected more than 6500 signatures for its petition to save the prime beachfront land at Lot 490.
It plans to table the petition in the NSW Parliament.
