5
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1984
CHANGES PROPOSED IN RATING (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984
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SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE RATING ORDINANCE ARE PROPOSED IN THE RATING (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984 PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY.
COMMENTING ON THE BILL, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT SAID THAT ONE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE RELIEF PROVISIONS TO ALL PREMISES AND NOT, AS AT PRESENT, JUST PRE-WAR RENT-CONTROLLED PREMISES.
HE RECALLED THAT THE PRESENT PROVISIONS WERE INTRODUCED IN 1977 TO COINCIDE WITH THE COMING INTO FORCE OF THE 1977-78 REVALUATION. THE EFFECT OF THE RELIEF PROVISIONS WAS TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ANY INCREASE IN RATES ONE YEAR WITH ANOTHER, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCREASE IN THE RATEABLE VALUE OR CHANGE IN THE PERCENTAGE RATES CHARGE.
IN 1977 THE MAXIMUM INCREASE WAS DETERMINED AT 33-1/3 PER CENT. UNDER THE BILL, THE MAXIMUM INCREASE WILL BE DETERMINED BY RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUT THE SPOKESMAN ANTICIPATED IT BEING SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN 33-1/3 PER CENT FOR 1984-85.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT AMENDMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT, IN FUTURE, ALL RATEABLE VALUES ARE ASSESSED BY REFERENCE TO A PAST COMMON REFERENCE DATE. THIS IS TO ENSURE EQUITY IN THE BASE ASSESSMENTS, ON WHICH RATES ARE CHARGED.
+THUS, NO MATTER THAT RENTALS INCREASE OR DECREASE OVER TIME, ASSESSMENTS WILL BE CALCULATED BY REFERENCE TO THE LEVEL OF VALUES ON A PRE-DETERMINED DATE. FOR THE 1984-85 REVALUATION THIS HAS BEEN DETERMINED AS JULY 1, 1983, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE BILL WOULD ALTER THE BASIS ON WHICH RATEPAYERS OCCUPYING TENEMENTS WITHOUT NORMAL SUPPLY OF WATER ARE GRANTED CONCESSIONS.
INSTEAD OF A TWO PERCENTAGE POINT REDUCTION IN THE GENERAL PERCENTAGE RATE CHARGE WHERE NO SUPPLY EXISTS, AND A ONE PERCENTAGE POINT REDUCTION WHERE WATER SUPPLIED IS UNFILTERED, CONCESSIONS FROM APRIL 1, 1984 WILL BE MADE BY MEANS OF PERCENTAGE REDUCTIONS TO THE TOTAL RATES PAYABLE. THESE PERCENTAGES WOULD BE DETERMINED BY RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE BY RESOLUTION THE MINIMUM RATEABLE VALUE AT WHICH TE NEMENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM ASSESSMENT TO RATES. THE EXISTING LEVEL, DETERMINED IN 1962, IS $200.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID HOWEVER THAT THE NEW MINIMUM LEVEL TO BE RECOMMENDED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL WOULD NOT LIKELY AFFECT TENEMENTS WHICH ARE AT PRESENT EXEMPT FROM ASSESSMENT.
/THE RATING