Local government
Mr RIORDAN (Polwarth) (09:48): I rise this morning to put on the record the very concerning feedback I am getting in the role of Shadow Minister for Local Government, and that feedback is universal across the state. There is a genuine concern amongst residents and ratepayers from one end of Victoria to the other—in the metropolitan areas, in the larger regional provincial towns and in our small rural communities. There is a series of themes emerging, and one is that there is a great concern about rates inequity. The inequity in rates now in Victoria is almost obscene. A home in some parts of Melbourne at a certain value will be charged around $300. For that same home in another part of Victoria, you could be paying nearly $4000. There is no justice in the rating inequity that currently exists here in the state of Victoria.
There is great concern about governance and accountability of councillors. People in the community want clear direction about what their councils and councillors are responsible for and who they are ultimately responsible to. There is a real concern in many shires particularly and less so in metropolitan areas around economic sustainability going forward. There are huge infrastructure demands, and capacity to replace and maintain assets is diminishing by the year. So it will be incumbent upon this government and future governments to look seriously at the need for proper local government reform and rejuvenation.