A Wollert resident angry over his rates bill is taking Whittlesea council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to get his property revalued and his bill reduced.
Tom Kozaris said council had valued his 10 hectare property at $3 million because it had been rezoned as an urban growth zone, raising his rates from $3351 to $8012.
He hired an independent valuer, who priced the hobby farm at $1.25 million.
“It cost me a few thousand dollars for the private valuation, but if VCAT reduces the council valuation and it saves me $500 or $1000 a year in rates, then I will recoup that back in a few years,” he said.
Mr Kozaris said it would be decades before developers were interested in the land, leading to an increase in its value, because there was no infrastructure.
“There is no town water, sewerage, gas, no services,’’ he said.
“People say it can be subdivided but it can’t be when there are no services.”
He said Wollert residents who had also been hit with higher land valuations would watch for the outcome of his case.
“If I am successful, then it will snowball with others,” he said.
Council’s manager of property and valuation services, Gino Mitrione, said the valuations were done in accordance with state government legislation and “deemed to be the amount the property would sell for at the time of valuation, taking into account sales of comparable properties up to two years prior”.
“Likewise, comparable properties are determined by considering a number of factors such as location, size and zoning in addition to availability of infrastructure and readiness for subdivision,” he said.
Meanwhile, council last week passed its budget, increasing rates by 4.75 per cent to provide $184 million to deliver services and major projects in 2013-2014.
“Council is committed to meeting the needs of families and the community and is investing $156 million to provide everyday services to our residents,” mayor Rex Griffin said.
A further $28 million would be spent on local roads, footpaths and bike paths, and community facilities.
