MONASH Mayor Paul Klisaris last week dropped a bombshell during his mayoral acceptance speech, announcing he would seek support to change the council's rating system.
Last week, Cr Klisaris and Cr Charlotte Baines were respectively elected as mayor and deputy mayor.
At the meeting, Cr Klisaris
said he wanted to change the rating system to capital improved value (CIV) because it would be fairer "for all people".
Monash Council is the only Victorian council that still calculates rates on site value, which is the value of the land alone. A move to CIV would include the value of the land plus buildings.
Land Values Research Group director and Prosper Australia research officer Gavin Putland urged the council to stick to its current method of rates calculation.
He said if Monash changed from SV to CIV, it would threaten its status as the employment hub of the south-east, and growth in residential property values would slow.
Dr Putland said developers who left their land vacant stood to gain, while the rates of high-density housing were likely to increase.
Monash Ratepayers Association president Jack Davis backed the move for a change to CIV but recommended that the council change to "differential" CIV, which distinguishes between residential and commercial rates.
Cr Geoff Lake supported CIV but said community consultation would be required.
"I understand there is broad support from all councillors to instigate, straight away, a significant and comprehensive review of rating in Monash."
Cr Lake expected the council would use differential rates, as did most Victorian councils.
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