they don't rate

To back into this afternoon’s topic I have to go way, way back to a time when I owned a farm and vineyard in the best location on Mount Macedon.

There was a road leading to my place and a neighbour’s further up the Mount. Not a great road. A corrugated dirt road with some gravel on  it. It had a sign at the start that said “No Through Road”. But that didn’t stop tourists and rubberneckers churning that gravel. Spitting it to one side. It was obviously not a private road.

Occasionally, the local council would come by and spread more gravel. But they would charge me $300 (25 years ago) for the privilege. Thank your mother for the rabbits.

So I was paying for services for other people. It reminded me of decades ago when I owned a piece of land on a stream in Woodstock, New York. Had planned to build a log cabin there. Never did. Sold it. But while I owned it the local council charged me annual rates and school fees – even though I didn’t have any kids and didn’t plan to have any. 

I mention it this afternoon because of an e-mail I received overnight that touched my core. And raised, in my head, the question: what are you paying for that your council is not providing? 

The e-mail said in part:

“Thought I would drop you a line re council rates. I live in Gippsland, have a small farmlet, 20 acres. I pay $1500 per year for nothing.

Roads I use are maintained by Vic Roads and all other services I will never use such as Meals on Wheels it would still cost me even if I

Did get it, beside which I would need to sell my home if I got to that stage and still have too much in assets. I don’t use the local baths and nor

Do I use the Library. I don’t have rubbish collection and it costs me up to $20 per rubbish dump each fortnight, I have my own water supply.

So what do I get for my money? I have requested grass outside my

Boundary to be cut because of snakes and my local councillor said go out and poison the grass (what about the wildlife and people’s pets)?

My nearest neighbours have over 100 acres and their rates are $1560 per year. How can that be? Are you able to make enquires for me as

No one is willing to help or answer the question.’”

He’s right. I remember how narked I was when paying for rubbish collection and they didn’t collect from my lane and so I would pay extra to take my rubbish to the Woodend tip.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005