❓ Hon. Sally Talbot questions the Minister for Local Government regarding discrepancies in rate revenue growth figures for the City of Melville published on the MyCouncil and Know Your Council websites, seeking clarification on calculation methodologies and potential confusion for ratepayers.
AnsweredQoN 678Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CITY OF MELVILLE — RATE REVENUE
678. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister
representing the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the minister's
answer to question without notice 608.
(1) Can the
minister explain how the MyCouncil website can show the City of Melville has a rate
revenue growth of 40.11 per cent for 2014–15 and the Know Your Council
website shows the City of Melville has an average rate revenue rise of 5.5 per
cent?
(2) What
calculation methodology has the Department of Local Government and Communities
used to calculate rate increases for the MyCouncil website?
(3) How does this
methodology differ from that used by the Western Australian Local Government
Association?
(4) Does the
minister agree that the publication of such conflicting information could be
confusing to ratepayers?
(5) Is the
minister consulting or in discussions with WALGA regarding the
knowyourcouncil.com website and the discrepancies between the two sites?
(6) Is the
minister considering any amendments to the MyCouncil DLGC website; and, if so,
what are they?
678. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister
representing the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the minister's
answer to question without notice 608.
(1) Can the
minister explain how the MyCouncil website can show the City of Melville has a rate
revenue growth of 40.11 per cent for 2014–15 and the Know Your Council
website shows the City of Melville has an average rate revenue rise of 5.5 per
cent?
(2) What
calculation methodology has the Department of Local Government and Communities
used to calculate rate increases for the MyCouncil website?
(3) How does this
methodology differ from that used by the Western Australian Local Government
Association?
(4) Does the
minister agree that the publication of such conflicting information could be
confusing to ratepayers?
(5) Is the
minister consulting or in discussions with WALGA regarding the
knowyourcouncil.com website and the discrepancies between the two sites?
(6) Is the
minister considering any amendments to the MyCouncil DLGC website; and, if so,
what are they?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question.
(1)–(2) Between
2013–14 and 2014–15, the City of Melville's own audited
financial statements report that total rate revenue grew from $56 065 000 to
$78 551 344. This is a growth of 40.11 per cent. MyCouncil reports a local
government's annual growth in total rate revenue using audited
financial statements provided by local governments.
(3)–(6) The
Know Your Council website was developed by a private organisation and the
government is therefore unable to respond to questions regarding the
information contained within it. The Minister for Local Government has
requested his department engage with stakeholders, including other government
agencies, local governments and community organisations, to consider whether
there is other data currently reported by local governments that may be of
interest to the community.
of the question.
(1)–(2) Between
2013–14 and 2014–15, the City of Melville's own audited
financial statements report that total rate revenue grew from $56 065 000 to
$78 551 344. This is a growth of 40.11 per cent. MyCouncil reports a local
government's annual growth in total rate revenue using audited
financial statements provided by local governments.
(3)–(6) The
Know Your Council website was developed by a private organisation and the
government is therefore unable to respond to questions regarding the
information contained within it. The Minister for Local Government has
requested his department engage with stakeholders, including other government
agencies, local governments and community organisations, to consider whether
there is other data currently reported by local governments that may be of
interest to the community.
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