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April 10th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
Posted
Darwin property owners face smaller rate rises than predicted following the Northern Territory Government backdown on power and water prices.
Darwin City Council had estimated rates could increase by 9 per cent from July, partly due to the increases in utility prices and a new street light charge.
Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim says the council has also been trying to cost-save and expects lesser rate rises than predicted.
“I’m absolutely hoping that’s the case,” she said.
“It will still be an increase and it will be more than 4.5 per cent … because I can’t see, just based on all the figures at the moment, how we are actually going to be able to achieve a $2.25 million saving.”
The Territory Government raised power charges by 30 per cent from January but has since cut this to 20 per cent, with further rises of 5 per cent a year in 2014 and 2015.
Meanwhile, come July, Palmerston ratepayers will be slugged with the carbon tax for the first time when paying their rates bills.
Mayor Ian Abbott says the carbon tax bill will come to about $200,000 and Palmerston Council can’t afford to absorb the full cost, as it did this past year.
He says the carbon tax will affect rates deliberations, along with increased utility prices and the new Power and Water fee for street lights.
“Last year we didn’t increase the rates for our carbon tax,” he said.
“This year we will need to pass that on to the community.”
Topics:
local-government,
electricity-energy-and-utilities,
darwin-0800,
palmerston-0830
Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-10/councils-crunch-numbers-on-municipal-rates/4620644
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