Adam Marshall pushing for pensioner concessions on council rates

Pensioner concessions for council rates should be doubled

I have called on the State Government to act swiftly and increase the pensioner concessions for local council rates which have been fixed at a maximum of $250 for the past three decades. I placed a motion on the notice paper in State Parliament last week, advocating for the region’s seniors and pensioners who are doing it tough, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis. There are enormous pressures on vulnerable members of our communities at the moment.
 Current pensioner concessions for local council rates have been fixed at a maximum of $250 for general rates and $87.50 for water and sewer charges for 31 years, since the Local Government Act 1993 was created. In the last three decades, council ratesnd charges have increased markedly, reducing the relative value of this concession, and placing further cost pressures on those who are vulnerable. The reality is $250 dollars in 2024 is hardly comparable to $250 in 1993 and the government needs to keep pace with the real value of money. I have also pushed for current pensioner concessions to be indexed annually, in line with annual rate increases, to ensure that as rates rise, the concession increases at the same rate.