Recent changes to the City of Armadale’s rating system hasn’t been enough to deter Harrisdale and Piara Waters residents pushing forward with an attempt to secede from the city.
Last week the city passed its 2016-17 budget with a three per cent rate increase and reduction of the Specified Area Rate that Harrisdale, Piara Waters and Champion Lakes residents pay.
The reduction equated to an average $95 reduction on rates bills.
Armadale mayor Henry Zelones said in delivering the budget the council and city’s officers were conscious of the pressures faced by families in difficult economic times.
“Armadale continues to record substantial growth, challenging us to work even harder in providing the services and infrastructure required at the lowest possible cost,” he said.
Harrisdale resident Kelly Lacquiere has been leading the rates backlash and despite the SAR reduction said they were still going to attempt to secede from the city.
“We think it’s a bit of a band aid result,” she said.
“I think they’re hoping we’ll reduce this and it looks like we’re doing something and they’ll go away which we’re not going to do.
“The SAR should definitely be abolished, that’s something we would like to see.
“It still though only makes a $200 difference for some of us though. We’re still paying a substantial amount more than other similar suburbs in different councils.
Ms Lacquiere said some residents were going to meet with the Local Government Advisory Board soon to discuss the move.
“I think the decision has been made to do it, we’re just finding out now exactly what we need to include in our submission,” she said.
“We don’t really go to all of that effort and have it not go our way.
“We are looking at the suburbs that tried it and failed and the suburbs that tried it and succeeded.
“We are starting to garner more information from the community as well just so we can put our best foot forward in this application.” She said residents would still continue to work with the city to reduce rates.
The city has previously blamed its high rate in the dollar on a lack of industrial and commercial land unlike neighbouring councils like the cities of Canning and Cockburn.
It has also said Harrisdale and Piara Waters residents pay higher rates comparatively because of their higher land prices.
