Local government minister warns Shire of Coolgardie not to treat ratepayers as 'cash cows'
Western Australia's local government minister has criticised an outback shire's bid to hike mining rates by 97 per cent saying ratepayers should not be treated as "cash cows".
The cash-strapped Shire of Coolgardie, 500 kilometres east of Perth in WA's Goldfields, proposed the rates increase despite strong opposition from the local mining sector.
This has now been refused by the state government.
In a statement Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said the shire needed to be held accountable for its "dire financial situation".
"The decision was made in the best interests of the community and state, as well as addressing concerns expressed by impacted ratepayers," she said.
Ms Beazley said the size of the proposed rates increase "did not meet the values of consistency, equity and fairness".
In a written statement Coolgardie shire president Malcolm Cullen said the government's decision was "disappointing".
"While it may have looked ambitious in its scope the motivation was always to restore and future-proof infrastructure for the benefit of the mining sector," he said.
"In light of this decision the shire will now implement its alternative budget strategy."
He said a number of key infrastructure projects, including road upgrades, would now need to be deferred.
Mr Cullen declined the ABC's request for an interview.
He said the shire, which faces a budget deficit of $6.5 million, would work towards a "sustainable solution" for ratepayers.
Multiple mining operators had warned the shire about the potential impact of the proposed rates hike.
Wyloo Metals, owned by WA mining magnate Andrew Forrest, said its rates bill would have increased from $725,471 to $1.74 million.
ASX-listed company WIN Metals said its bill would jump from $299,000 to more than half a million dollars annually.
Speaking to the ABC, Eastern Goldfields Prospectors Association president Cranston Edwards welcomed the government's decision but said the shire's "underlying issues" needed to be addressed.
"I think it sends a message that you can't keep hitting the ratepayers," he said.
Mr Edwards said the shire needed more scrutiny and called on the councillors to resign.
"Just like any other company would do if they go broke, they've got to face the music," he said.
The Western Australian Local Government Association has been contacted for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
WA announces investigation into electric bikes and scooters
The WA government will launch a statewide investigation into the safety of electric bikes and scooters in response to growing community concern. The government will set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee to find ways to strengthen the safety and regulation of the 'e-rideables'. The state has had four fatalities involving e-rideables since the start of the year, including that of Perth dad Thahn Phan, who was allegedly hit by a British tourist last week on a rented e-scooter. Following that incident the state government said that it needed to do more. 'We have very strict regulations about the speed of e-scooters,' said Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti. 'But it's obvious we need to do more on compliance.' she said. The committee is set to investigate the expansion of penalties, how the vehicles are rented, how they are used in congested areas and how technology like speed limiting can be used to make them safer. Announcing the new committee, Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the government wanted to do 'as much as possible' to keep everyone safe from e-rideables. 'I've become increasingly concerned about safety issues around e-rideables and e-scooters and I'm particularly concerned about the safety and the vulnerability of pedestrians as well as those people who ride these devices,' Mr Whitby said. 'And I think there's a growing community concern also.' Other measures to be considered by the committee are night-time curfews and the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in entertainment districts. Asked by reporters on Saturday morning, Mr Whitby said a ban of the vehicles on footpaths would 'absolutely' be considered. Mr Whitby said it was important that the state had a bipartisan approach to the reforms, acknowledging that he wanted the community to work together. The committee will deliver its report in September and Mr Whitby said in the meantime the police would need to maintain 'vigilance' in their enforcement. E-bikes have come under fire nationally in recent months as fatalities continue to mount.
ABC News
10 hours ago
- ABC News
Narrogin residents seek community investment from renewable energy boom
A town of fewer than 5,000 people is on the precipice of Western Australia's renewable energy boom, with $18 billion worth of developments proposed. The Shire of Narrogin, about 180 kilometres south-east of Perth, has been considered prime territory for wind, solar and battery because of its open farmland and proximity to the state's grid. Projects proposed for the Narrogin Renewable Energy Zone include a $2.4 billion, 168-turbine wind farm of 1209 megawatts, a $400M solar farm and a $400M battery project. Narrogin Shire President Leigh Ballard said the council had welcomed the projects for their economic benefits but wanted a community fund created so residents could benefit. The shire recently requested the battery project include a community fund or public art funding, which was rejected. Mr Ballard said the growth of the projects was putting stress on the community and its infrastructure. "It's an issue we, as a shire, are trying process, comprehend and plan for," he said. "Each individual project has a small impact, but when you put all these projects together it's a huge impact for the region." He said pressure points included housing, roads, general resources, procedures and baseline community functions. The WA government released draft guidelines on Thursday which said it would ensure "all Western Australians benefit from the energy transition". It said community arrangements on projects differed and a lack of consistency created uncertainty for communities and proponents. The proposed guidelines include $500 to $,1000 per megawatt per year for wind projects and $150 to $800 for solar projects. Under the proposal, a 200-megawatt wind farm project would contribute between $100,00 to $300,000 each year, the government said. It said the final benefit could differ depending on the size of community and whether multiple communities were affected. "In sparsely populated areas, a lower … amount may be appropriate compared to areas of higher population," it said. The draft proposed community funds could be administered through local governments or a community trust fund. Mr Ballard said the situation required clear-cut legislation from the Cook government. "Our community is getting told what's happening, they're not getting brought along with the process or involved with it," he said. "We look at it as a bit of social license from these projects, coming into the community and changing our landscape." WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the government had listened to industry and communities to develop the concept. "The draft guideline provides support for the community and renewable energy developers to achieve sensible arrangements that balance benefit for the local community with the affordability of energy," she said in a statement. Planning Minister John Carey said WA was in a "critical moment in the state's history" with large renewable projects proposed and under construction. "It's a significant opportunity in terms of economy, for jobs, and meeting the renewable energy transitions but we understand there are concerns in local communities and what the community benefit will be," he said. Energy analyst Ray Wills said baseline payments per hour or megawatt per project were a sensible starting point. He said the direct benefits of farmers and other landholders hosting projects needed to be balanced against the indirect impact on the wider community. "Because otherwise all of the expenditure that company will look to do will be captured by one person, rather than being more broadly available," Mr Wills said. "On the other hand, not having any of those payments made to the community is going to see a restriction of projects going forward." He said any community funding requirement needed to be carefully calibrated so investment was not deterred.
ABC News
10 hours ago
- ABC News
WA launches parliamentary inquiry into e-scooters following death of Thanh Phan in Perth's CBD
The WA government will establish a new parliamentary inquiry into the safety of e-rideables, sparked by the death of a Perth father in an e-scooter crash last month. A parliamentary committee will be tasked with finding ways to make e-bikes and e-scooters safer and consider tougher penalties for illegal behaviour. The inquiry will analyse data around injuries, accidents and trends of use to develop appropriate restrictions, such as curfews and footpath bans in areas of high pedestrian use. Road Safety and Police Minister Reece Whitby said the inquiry would also explore how technology could be used to make e-rideables safer. "[The inquiry] will look at how they can be geo-fenced to not operate in certain congested areas, how they might be limited to speed or limited to areas where they can be used," Mr Whitby said. Data comparing privately owned e-rideable devices with hireable devices will also be analysed to inform updated regulations. The state government also wants the committee to look at how the federal government can intervene and limit non-compliant devices being imported into Australia. Mr Whitby said he would like an investigation into "the Commonwealth's responsibility and role in allowing the importation of e-rideables that quite frankly travel too fast and are too powerful and should be treated as vehicles and not e-rideables". "We've had four fatalities involving e-rideables since the start of the year and of course every death is tragic," he said. Mr Whitby said the family of Perth man Thanh Phan were calling for a review after he was struck by an e-scooter and killed last month. "Mr Phan was the first pedestrian to die as a result of an incident involving e-rideables," Mr Whitby said. "His family are grief-stricken obviously, but have requested a review of the way e-rideables are used and the safety issues around them." The City of Perth announced it would suspend the hiring of e-scooters following Mr Phan's death. Mr Whitby will move a motion to establish the inquiry in parliament next week and said a report on the findings would be presented by the end of September. In the meantime, WA Police has been asked to continue its enforcement blitz of e-rideable safety in the community and in particularly dense pedestrian areas. More than 20 fines were issued by police last week after interactions with 72 e-rideable users, with four e-rideables impounded. The Road Safety Commission has also been asked to educate the public on the safe and legal use of e-rideables in the community.
