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ABC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Locals slam council inaction as 24 properties go to auction in Queanbeyan over unpaid rates
A New South Wales family will bid at auction for a parcel of land they thought was part of their property, but is actually owned by a man who died more than six decades ago. The auction is part of Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council's (QPRQ) crackdown on unpaid rates, with 24 properties to be sold. The council said the owners had failed to pay rates for at least five years. Among the lots is a slice of land in Charleys Forest, a rural area near Braidwood about two hours east of Canberra, which borders a farm owned by Gina Greentree and her husband. It measures about 10 metres wide and 400 metres long and is complete with pine trees and a boundary fence, which were added by a previous owner who, like Ms Greentree, had assumed it was part of their property. "But the gentleman that owned the property has been deceased now for 65 years, so it's just sat there idle over the years being assumed and treated as being part of the major parcel of land that we own now," Ms Greentree said. Council is selling off the land to recoup almost $20,000 in unpaid rates. But the value of the land is estimated to be much less — about $3,500 — creating confusion for Ms Greentree, who will be among bidders attempting to buy it. "It's somewhere between those numbers we think," she said. "Council has not given any guidance — they set the reserve." Delays drive up value The NSW government's public record of official notices show the council knew about unpaid rates on the property as early as 2013, but had failed to resolve the problem. "They haven't really conceded the fact that their inaction has caused not only the rates to accrue, but also the value of the land to increase substantially over time," Ms Greentree said. "It now means that for us to even purchase the land, compared to two or three years ago, it's doubled in price, and [compared to] five years ago, it's more than quadrupled in price. "Had they acted, or had we had notification back when they first say they started this process, we would have been able to mitigate a lot of the cost and also their costs," she added. The lot up for auction that border's Gina Greentree's property. ( Supplied ) QPRC said the amount in arrears will not impact the asking price. "If we sell the block and it's less than the rates outstanding, we will just have to write those rates off," QPRC general manager Rebecca Ryan said. She said the delay was because of a merger between the former Queanbeyan City and Palerang councils. "I think it was just a case of resources. We merged councils in 2016, this is the first sale for unpaid rates we've done since," Ms Ryan said. Errors advertising blocks Ms Greentree, who runs Angus cattle, horses, sheep, and chickens on her farm, is also worried about errors in the sale listing. A title search for the lot shows images of Ms Greentree's neighbour's property, "which is complete with cattle yards, horse round yards, shared water tanks, so it looks very attractive," she said. "Potentially someone's going to either be misled as to what the property is for or force the price up because they think they're getting $100,000 worth of infrastructure that they're just not going to get," she said. Council conceded there had been some confusion. "Council has met with residents that had concerns with the mapping to clarify the lot," a spokesperson said. 'None the wiser' Meeting minutes show council first considered the mass sell-off in June 2024, when 48 properties were eligible to be sold owing more than $1,135,500 in unpaid rates. Since then, many owners have ratified their rates payments, including one business that settled a debt of nearly $160,000 as late as Thursday. The remaining vacant properties are mostly in rural areas, many with title deeds dating back to the early 1900s. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is auctioning lots over unpaid rates. ( Supplied ) "As the NSW Land Registry Services updates their mapping and online information, these little lots are then digitised and then discovered to have been missed," Ms Ryan said. Council said it had sent notices to affected owners via registered mail, letters to neighbours, advertised on its website and local publications, and door-knocked property owners. But Ms Greentree said she had never been contacted by council, and only discovered the lot was for sale when a council notice was re-shared to a community Facebook page. "Had I not had curiosity … and thought 'I wonder what that property is' … I wouldn't have even known," she said. "Someone could have … purchased that piece of land, and we would be none the wiser, which is really unfair." She said there should have been a more public consultation process, or public meeting, and more of an effort by council to contact her. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has defended its efforts to consult the public. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore ) Ms Ryan said council had been "very proactive" in contacting neighbours and advertising. "While it was a shock, some people realised they had had no idea that their little block … actually hadn't been transferred when they purchased their property," Ms Ryan said. Ms Ryan said the auction was intended as a quick way to transfer title deeds for properties that had been missed in sales over generations. Auctioneers Ian McNamee and Partners advertised the properties for auction online this week, with it set to take place at the Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall on May 2.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local nonprofits still hope to keep federal grant funding
In late January, the White House Office of Management and Budget sent out a memo freezing payments on federal grants and loans, causing some area nonprofits to temporarily lose access to funds before the order was rescinded. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that even though the memo had been rescinded, the president's executive orders freezing foreign assistance and ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives remain in effect. Tahlequah Area Habitat for Humanity has been awarded $173,000 in federal funds for owner-occupied home repairs, and so far, those funds have not been taken back, said Linda Cheatham, executive director of TAHFH. 'We get reimbursed for actual expenses quarterly and have a concern these funds might be withdrawn before we get reimbursed,' Cheatham said. 'We are hopeful we can continue to repair homes for low-income families.' The next two homeowners have been approved for federal loans, and TAHFH has not been notified those will be rescinded, Cheatham said. 'We will start the first of those houses during the Women Build Event in March,' Cheatham said. 'We have other potential homeowners pending review for federal home loans. I was notified that all unobligated home loan funds were taken back, and we do not know if, or when, they will be restored.' Executive Director Laura Kuester, of Help In Crisis, said they had not had any cuts or funds frozen yet. 'The only adverse effect is that we were working on an Office of Violence Against Women grant to support our Transitional Housing Project, 'Laura's Place,' and the available [Notice Of Funding Opportunity] has been pulled from the OVW website, along with other grants that were open for application,' Kuester said. 'I have been told by OVW that those grants are under review and will be available again with a new deadline.' Natalie Shelton, director of the Quah Prevention and Recovery Center Inc., formerly known as Tahlequah Men's Shelter, has not been affected by the cut. 'In the upcoming weeks, you will likely see the name Quah Prevention and Recovery Center, or QPRC, listed in local resource guides, social media, and newsletters,' Shelton said. 'Rest assured, the emergency shelter remains, but there is more to what we can offer.' Sam Bradshaw, of QPRC and Peaceful Warriors Way, said the funds for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration were halted with the original freeze. 'We only receive one grant from SAMHA,' Bradshaw said. 'Our ability to draw approved funds was frozen for a week when first initiated by the administration. But since then, we have not had any problems.' The grant is about building community of recovery for those with alcohol, substance abuse and mental health, Bradshaw said. 'We do not expect any interruptions at this time,' Bradshaw said. Terri Garrett-Riggs, of Working to Recover, Assist and Prevent Project, reported funding had been cut off with the original freeze. By press time, no response had been received from TDP's inquiry on whether the funding had been released. Cherokee County Humane Society doesn't have federal funding and rely on local grants and donations. City Administrator Taylor Tannehill said none of the funding through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has been withdrawn or affected by the cuts. Several road projects in the Tahlequah area are funded by ODOT grants, along with matching funds from the city. TDP reached out to American Indian Resource Center to inquire about funding, but by press time, no response was received. A report on Fox33, Jan. 10, stated the Cherokee Nation had lost a $10.7 million grant for charging stations. When asked to verify the information, CN Communications Director Julie Hubbard denied the loss. 'That is not correct,' Hubbard said. 'Per our secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice, we have not had any official word on this and expect an update in the coming weeks.' Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians were asked for an update on funding cuts, but by press time, neither tribe had responded.
