4 June 2019

ACT Budget 2019: Rates rises revealed for your suburb

| Genevieve Jacobs
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Chief Minister Andrew Barr speaking at the budget update. Photo: George Tsotsos.

The ACT government has flagged average general rates increases for Canberra suburbs in this year’s budget. By suburb, residential general rates are set to rise from between 6 per cent (Hall) to 18 per cent (Barton). The average rise for houses is around 7 per cent, rising to 11 per cent for units (see tables below).

But following recent Legislative Assembly recommendations for changes to the land tax system, the budget does introduce separate ratings factors. This follows householder dissatisfaction over changes to how unit rates were calculated, which raised some by more than 110 per cent after their introduction in 2017.

The rate rises accompany a 20 year-long programme to abolish stamp duty. ABS statistics show that in 2011-12 government revenue totalled $209 million, but now sits at around $492 million since the reforms were implemented. Forecasts show rate rises continuing for the next two years before the reform impacts begin to level off.

The government’s argument is that increasing rates while abolishing other taxes and duties both capitalises on the ACT’s growing population base and is also a more efficient tax base than multiple other charges.

Initially described as revenue neutral when reforms began, the Chief Minister now says the rates will be broadly revenue neutral overall when paired with the decreases in other tax measures. They point to the fact that the average Canberran pays fewer taxes than a NSW resident.

But the continuing rate rises have always represented a hard sell for the government against the Opposition’s “triple your rates” election campaigns and two recent Legislative Assembly enquiries into the pressures on households as a consequence.

Commercial rates have risen even more steeply, coupled with the effect of changed land valuations in a number of Canberra suburbs. The government argued that sales in areas including Civic, Phillip, Turner and Braddon suggested the valuations were lower than they should have been, and in some cases backdated the changes by five years.

 

Table 1: Residential General Rates by district (Houses)

Houses
District Av. Rates 2018-19

($)

Av. Rates 2019-20

($)

Change ($) Change (%)
Belconnen 2,158 2,321 164 8
Gungahlin 1,926 2,097 172 9
North Canberra 3,607 3,929 321 9
South Canberra 5,109 5,551 442 9
Tuggeranong 2,033 2,151 118 6
Weston Creek 2,380 2,536 156 7
Woden 3,130 3,354 224 7
Molonglo 2,439 2,589 151 6

 

Table 2: Residential General Rates by district (Units)

Units
District Av. Rates 2018-19

($)

Av. Rates 2019-20

($)

Change ($) Change (%)
Belconnen 1,394 1,531 137 10
Gungahlin 1,270 1,383 113 9
North Canberra 1,423 1,589 166 12
South Canberra 1,691 1,927 236 14
Tuggeranong 1,433 1,568 136 9
Weston Creek 1,568 1,718 150 10
Woden 1,595 1,769 174 11
Molonglo 1,160 1,289 129 11

 

Average General Rates Increases by Suburb

Table 3: Residential General Rates by suburb

Average Rates Houses Units
2018-19 2019-20 Change ($) Change (%) 2018-19 2019-20 Change ($) Change (%)
Belconnen
Aranda $ 3,381 $ 3,653 $ 271 8% $ 1,936 $ 2,077 $ 141 7%
Belconnen $ 1,946 $ 2,058 $ 112 6% $ 1,189 $ 1,304 $ 115 10%
Bruce $ 2,838 $ 3,058 $ 220 8% $ 1,400 $ 1,549 $ 148 11%
Charnwood $ 1,738 $ 1,849 $ 111 6% $ 1,387 $ 1,516 $ 129 9%
Cook $ 2,817 $ 3,032 $ 215 8% $ 1,761 $ 1,974 $ 213 12%
Dunlop $ 1,735 $ 1,865 $ 129 7% $ 1,444 $ 1,559 $ 115 8%
Evatt $ 2,015 $ 2,181 $ 166 8% $ 1,430 $ 1,584 $ 153 11%
Florey $ 2,116 $ 2,271 $ 155 7% $ 1,615 $ 1,799 $ 184 11%
Flynn $ 2,007 $ 2,155 $ 149 7% $ 1,553 $ 1,706 $ 153 10%
Fraser $ 2,027 $ 2,170 $ 144 7% $ 1,557 $ 1,725 $ 168 11%
Giralang $ 2,189 $ 2,387 $ 198 9% $ 1,661 $ 1,822 $ 161 10%
Hawker $ 2,995 $ 3,178 $ 183 6% $ 1,681 $ 1,829 $ 148 9%
Higgins $ 2,060 $ 2,218 $ 158 8% $ 1,553 $ 1,705 $ 152 10%
Holt $ 1,813 $ 1,962 $ 149 8% $ 1,335 $ 1,458 $ 123 9%
Kaleen $ 2,334 $ 2,529 $ 196 8% $ 1,541 $ 1,714 $ 173 11%
Latham $ 1,938 $ 2,091 $ 153 8% $ 1,500 $ 1,623 $ 122 8%
Lawson $ 2,652 $ 2,841 $ 189 7% $ 1,312 $ 1,452 $ 140 11%
Macgregor $ 1,727 $ 1,855 $ 128 7% $ 1,450 $ 1,564 $ 114 8%
Macquarie $ 2,590 $ 2,807 $ 217 8% $ 1,477 $ 1,611 $ 134 9%
McKellar $ 2,191 $ 2,362 $ 171 8% $ 1,699 $ 1,826 $ 127 7%
Melba $ 2,173 $ 2,308 $ 135 6% $ 1,590 $ 1,706 $ 116 7%
Page $ 2,278 $ 2,442 $ 163 7% $ 1,599 $ 1,744 $ 145 9%
Scullin $ 2,020 $ 2,152 $ 131 7% $ 1,551 $ 1,673 $ 122 8%
Spence $ 1,954 $ 2,097 $ 143 7% $ 1,551 $ 1,707 $ 156 10%
Weetangera $ 3,144 $ 3,382 $ 238 8% $ 1,897 $ 2,037 $ 140 7%
Gungahlin
Amaroo $ 1,932 $ 2,085 $ 153 8% $ 1,547 $ 1,653 $ 107 7%
Bonner $ 1,693 $ 1,849 $ 156 9% $ 1,319 $ 1,412 $ 93 7%
Casey $ 1,796 $ 1,960 $ 165 9% $ 1,254 $ 1,354 $ 100 8%
Crace $ 1,936 $ 2,145 $ 209 11% $ 1,099 $ 1,180 $ 81 7%
Forde $ 2,095 $ 2,296 $ 201 10% $ 1,380 $ 1,493 $ 114 8%
Franklin $ 1,981 $ 2,220 $ 239 12% $ 1,038 $ 1,118 $ 80 8%
Gungahlin $ 1,904 $ 2,068 $ 163 9% $ 1,120 $ 1,240 $ 120 11%
Hall $ 3,587 $ 3,773 $ 187 5% $ 1,365 $ 1,452 $ 87 6%
Harrison $ 1,942 $ 2,132 $ 191 10% $ 1,099 $ 1,205 $ 106 10%
Jacka $ 1,713 $ 1,852 $ 140 8% $ 1,200 $ 1,290 $ 90 8%
Moncrieff $ 1,703 $ 1,883 $ 180 11% $ 1,338 $ 1,485 $ 147 11%
Ngunnawal $ 1,761 $ 1,880 $ 119 7% $ 1,400 $ 1,518 $ 118 8%
Nicholls $ 2,338 $ 2,572 $ 234 10% $ 1,721 $ 1,883 $ 162 9%
Palmerston $ 1,954 $ 2,145 $ 191 10% $ 1,750 $ 1,908 $ 158 9%
Taylor $ 1,938 $ 2,029 $ 91 5%
Throsby $ 2,365 $ 2,417 $ 52 2%
Molonglo
Coombs $ 2,182 $ 2,371 $ 188 9% $ 1,308 $ 1,469 $ 161 12%
Denman Prospect $ 2,756 $ 2,847 $ 91 3%
Wright $ 2,337 $ 2,519 $ 182 8% $ 1,070 $ 1,180 $ 110 10%
North Canberra
Ainslie $ 3,783 $ 4,130 $ 347 9% $ 2,537 $ 2,761 $ 224 9%
Braddon $ 4,236 $ 4,641 $ 405 10% $ 1,380 $ 1,553 $ 173 13%
Campbell $ 4,545 $ 4,931 $ 386 8% $ 1,551 $ 1,746 $ 195 13%
City $ 1,166 $ 1,356 $ 190 16%
Dickson $ 3,344 $ 3,694 $ 350 10% $ 1,411 $ 1,532 $ 121 9%
Downer $ 3,062 $ 3,301 $ 239 8% $ 1,687 $ 1,807 $ 120 7%
Hackett $ 3,370 $ 3,689 $ 320 9% $ 1,632 $ 1,756 $ 124 8%
Lyneham $ 2,991 $ 3,297 $ 306 10% $ 1,338 $ 1,490 $ 152 11%
O’Connor $ 3,913 $ 4,207 $ 294 8% $ 1,776 $ 1,930 $ 154 9%
Reid $ 5,255 $ 5,740 $ 485 9% $ 1,572 $ 1,772 $ 200 13%
Turner $ 5,512 $ 6,238 $ 726 13% $ 1,515 $ 1,677 $ 162 11%
Watson $ 2,756 $ 2,980 $ 224 8% $ 1,293 $ 1,427 $ 134 10%
South Canberra
Barton $ 6,427 $ 7,074 $ 646 10% $ 1,561 $ 1,844 $ 283 18%
Deakin $ 5,036 $ 5,492 $ 456 9% $ 1,843 $ 2,046 $ 203 11%
Forrest $ 9,604 $ 10,171 $ 566 6% $ 2,275 $ 2,546 $ 271 12%
Griffith $ 5,475 $ 6,019 $ 545 10% $ 1,547 $ 1,749 $ 201 13%
Kingston $ 3,741 $ 4,136 $ 394 11% $ 1,502 $ 1,726 $ 223 15%
Narrabundah $ 3,476 $ 3,756 $ 280 8% $ 1,609 $ 1,785 $ 177 11%
Red Hill $ 6,264 $ 6,746 $ 482 8% $ 2,712 $ 2,964 $ 252 9%
Yarralumla $ 5,656 $ 6,216 $ 561 10% $ 3,028 $ 3,461 $ 432 14%
Tuggeranong
Banks $ 1,820 $ 1,916 $ 96 5% $ 1,623 $ 1,793 $ 170 10%
Bonython $ 1,989 $ 2,121 $ 133 7% $ 1,520 $ 1,654 $ 134 9%
Calwell $ 2,037 $ 2,153 $ 115 6% $ 1,434 $ 1,584 $ 150 10%
Chisholm $ 1,997 $ 2,100 $ 102 5% $ 1,697 $ 1,938 $ 241 14%
Conder $ 1,909 $ 2,012 $ 103 5% $ 1,451 $ 1,599 $ 147 10%
Fadden $ 2,348 $ 2,495 $ 147 6% $ 1,905 $ 2,097 $ 192 10%
Gilmore $ 2,028 $ 2,123 $ 95 5% $ 1,561 $ 1,724 $ 163 10%
Gordon $ 1,952 $ 2,064 $ 113 6% $ 1,370 $ 1,484 $ 114 8%
Gowrie $ 2,003 $ 2,111 $ 108 5% $ 1,700 $ 1,895 $ 195 11%
Greenway $ 2,071 $ 2,249 $ 179 9% $ 1,211 $ 1,307 $ 95 8%
Isabella Plains $ 1,926 $ 2,033 $ 107 6% $ 1,475 $ 1,608 $ 133 9%
Kambah $ 2,128 $ 2,265 $ 137 6% $ 1,570 $ 1,742 $ 172 11%
Macarthur $ 2,224 $ 2,362 $ 138 6% $ 1,608 $ 1,730 $ 122 8%
Monash $ 2,136 $ 2,278 $ 142 7% $ 1,502 $ 1,649 $ 147 10%
Oxley $ 2,169 $ 2,291 $ 121 6% $ 1,637 $ 1,814 $ 177 11%
Richardson $ 1,914 $ 2,059 $ 145 8% $ 1,400 $ 1,528 $ 128 9%
Tharwa $ 1,766 $ 1,866 $ 100 6%
Theodore $ 1,903 $ 2,015 $ 112 6% $ 1,501 $ 1,677 $ 176 12%
Wanniassa $ 2,052 $ 2,145 $ 93 5% $ 1,569 $ 1,737 $ 168 11%
Weston Creek
Chapman $ 3,017 $ 3,181 $ 164 5% $ 1,561 $ 1,712 $ 151 10%
Duffy $ 2,365 $ 2,526 $ 161 7% $ 1,574 $ 1,710 $ 135 9%
Fisher $ 2,336 $ 2,489 $ 153 7% $ 1,406 $ 1,556 $ 149 11%
Holder $ 2,313 $ 2,437 $ 124 5% $ 1,616 $ 1,756 $ 141 9%
Rivett $ 2,163 $ 2,319 $ 157 7% $ 1,636 $ 1,780 $ 144 9%
Stirling $ 2,269 $ 2,429 $ 159 7% $ 1,580 $ 1,795 $ 215 14%
Waramanga $ 2,272 $ 2,445 $ 173 8% $ 1,615 $ 1,751 $ 135 8%
Weston $ 2,336 $ 2,496 $ 160 7% $ 1,592 $ 1,737 $ 145 9%
Woden
Chifley $ 2,842 $ 3,022 $ 179 6% $ 1,723 $ 1,908 $ 185 11%
Curtin $ 3,267 $ 3,498 $ 231 7% $ 1,635 $ 1,807 $ 172 10%
Farrer $ 3,058 $ 3,264 $ 206 7% $ 1,745 $ 1,866 $ 122 7%
Garran $ 3,731 $ 3,924 $ 193 5% $ 1,553 $ 1,680 $ 127 8%
Hughes $ 3,338 $ 3,589 $ 251 8% $ 1,691 $ 1,876 $ 185 11%
Isaacs $ 2,737 $ 2,941 $ 204 7% $ 2,065 $ 2,271 $ 207 10%
Lyons $ 2,844 $ 3,094 $ 249 9% $ 1,453 $ 1,613 $ 161 11%
Mawson $ 2,953 $ 3,177 $ 224 8% $ 1,831 $ 2,085 $ 254 14%
O’Malley $ 4,677 $ 4,992 $ 314 7% $ 2,894 $ 3,347 $ 453 16%
Pearce $ 3,012 $ 3,289 $ 278 9% $ 1,676 $ 1,839 $ 163 10%
Phillip $ 2,040 $ 2,183 $ 144 7% $ 1,322 $ 1,461 $ 138 10%
Torrens $ 2,791 $ 2,990 $ 199 7% $ 1,777 $ 1,919 $ 142 8%
Other
Oaks Estate $ 1,767 $ 1,902 $ 135 8% $ 1,017 $ 1,086 $ 69 7%
Uriarra Village $ 1,813 $ 1,935 $ 123 7%

 

 

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house_husband5:01 pm 05 Jun 19

I’ve go no problem paying increased rates BUT only if governments wound back or eliminated stamp duty and other taxes as promised when the GST was introduced.

Smoke and mirrors …

Ahhhh. They are doing exactly that but over 20 year period. It’s now about half way through.

I wish my salary can have 10% increase. But can I? that’s why I don’t quite understand why Canberra people keep electing this government…why not give liberal a chance? People always say “oh, liberal is even worse…” But my argument is how worse can it be? Cost of living is rocket to sky, rates are up to the roof, you still have to mow your nature strip, you still can’t find a tradie to help you when you need… why why why?

This is disgraceful. I don’t see a 10% improvement in services in my area??

The ACT is a brilliant example of what happens to government when you don’t have a viable alternative. And the libs don’t seem to get that they will not just fall into power by default, even if enough rusted-on voters finally have a gut full of team Barr.

The tax reform package this government is enacting is one of the truly good programs run by any state or territory government in a long time.

Despite the bleating from those who don’t want to pay, the overall change in our taxation mix makes it far more economically efficient and allows our territory to be able to plan for a more sustainable revenue base that is better protected during economic downturns.

And I say this as a homeowner who has to pay these higher rates. Getting rid of stamp duty is an unequivocally good thing.

I will once again agree with you on the concept and totally disagree with you that the ACT Government have the calculation model correct.

To stop the ACT government disproportionately hitting less wealthy homeowners, with cheap houses on big blocks they need to move from the current land unimproved valuation method to the Victorian and South Australian State methods which is essentially ‘Capital Improved Value’. ACT government should also include a Rates adjustment for services, transport and facilities available to the resident.

It’s crazy that a $500k house and large block property in Kambah can pay more in annual Rates than a $1.7 million small block property in Braddon. It’s the opposite of progressive taxation.

Gee, what a surprise.
Vote this terrible government out next election.

Mike of Canberra10:28 pm 04 Jun 19

Like all left wing governments, the ACT Government is steadily going down the old “tax and spend” route. The trouble is that, even with revenue increasing by around 2 1/2 times in the last few years, Barr still can’t balance the budget. At the same time, as a number of commenters to this column have noted, his rate rises are driving many people to penury, especially older retired people on relatively fixed incomes. Such people are being driven across the border to more sensible rating regimes in neighbouring NSW, thus being forced to leave long-term homes and the memories and social networks that go with them. This sounds like a curious version of the “human rights” and “social justice” about which the ACT Government is constantly crowing. But even worse, in economic and fiscal terms is the amount of business that is leaving the ACT in search of a saner business rating structure just across the border in NSW. In the end, Canberra will become a city of the “haves” and “have nots”, in other words an Antipodean version of Mexico City. That ought to make for a really cohesive society. But Canberrans only have themselves to blame for the joke our so-called democratic government has become. They stubbornly refuse to see that the healthiest thing any polity can do is to undergo reasonable regular changes of government, thus ensuring regular infusions of new ideas and ways of thinking. Instead, Canberrans have stubbornly voted for one side only since 2001, thus saddling us with the Barr oligarchy under which we all suffer. Well done folks!

The Consumer Price Index for the year to March 2019 (averaged over 8 capital cities) shows an increase of 1.3%.
Rate increases in the ACT of 10%, 12% and 14% are outrageous.

Thanks for nothing Andrew. Our unit rates in Palmerston are more expensive than most houses in Gungahlin and by far some of the most expensive unit rates. Why didn’t we buy a house? Because we couldn’t afford one due to your lousy housing policies and now we’re being shafted again. What extras do we get? We don’t get our own recycling bin, our kids share the same over crowded schools, we drive on the same roads, share the same over crowded hospital, walk through the same unkempt parks and suffer the same inept government.

HiddenDragon7:09 pm 04 Jun 19

In 2011-12, the last year before the shift from stamp duty to rates started, general rates (residential and commercial combined) were estimated to raise $209m., land tax was estimated at $115m. and stamp duty (residential and commercial combined) was estimated to raise $268m. – combined total of $592m.

The estimates for 2019-20 are $599m. for general rates, $151m. for land tax, and $265m. for stamp duty – combined total of $1.015bn (an increase of 71%).

So while stamp duty revenue has barely moved in nominal terms, revenue from residential and commercial rates has nearly tripled in the space of 8 years.

We have, of course, had the stamp duty which used to be levied on insurance policies phased out – that must be a great comfort to all those Canberrans who find that their insurance premiums are so much more affordable now than they were 8 years ago…..

My rates are going up $10 a week. Multiply that by a suburb’s worth of people and it’s going to hit our local shops pretty hard.

Dear Tuggeranong Residents, are you regretting voting the Barr Labor government back in by now? Your rates rises are paying for Gungahlin’s light rail, with Woden’s light rail to follow… no doubt Belconnen will follow, and then a line to the airport (and, naturally, on to Queanbeyan)…

Tuggeranong residents voted in 3 Liberal and 2 Labor MLAs, so they didn’t vote Barr back in. Blame the 4 other electorates that all voted for 3 Labor/Greens MLAs and 2 Liberals.

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