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| CLICK HERE TO READ THIS EXAMINER STORY |
"The airport has halved the rate it paid three years ago in a loophole over a lease agreement it has with the Commonwealth government.
The council has claimed it is owed $450,000 a year - the rate equivalent under the Commonwealth arrangement - rather than $150,000 a year the airport ‘‘chooses to pay’’.
Cr Downie said the council could no longer absorb the loss and measures could be forced onto ratepayers.
‘At the moment, we have been able to handle that, but if it keeps on going we’ll have to cut services or up the rates,’’ he said.
‘‘We have no other choice.’’
Cr Downie claims the Australian Pacific Airports Corporation that owns Launceston Airport turns over more than $700m per year ....... "Click here to read the full story
This story is just now getting the attention it should have ages ago. Launceston Council should by now be wearing an embarrassed smile having been caught with its pants down.
LCC must look like the proverbial "neighbour from hell" from just about anywhere but especially so in the North Midlands. It has set a new standard!
If there is any truth to the story that Robert Dobrzynski represents LCC on the Launceston Airport Board, when are we going to hear from him about how Launceston Airport came to its position?
Oh yes, he will say that his knowledge is privileged and therefore confidential or commercial-in-confidence. That is a very old trick.
When are Launceston's aldermen going to fess up to their direct or indirect complicity in this whole affair?
When are we going to hear to just what extent Launceston profits from its ratepayers' shareholding in Launceston Airport?
And to what extent would LCC be out of pocket IF the Launceston Airport paid the rates due?
Northern Midlands Council could straight away levy it ratepayers a $700 Airport Levy (and identify it as such on rate notices) for the privilege of having the Launceston Airport in their council's precincts.
Ratepayers would then have a good reason to make individual representations to 'the Minister', the two local Federal members that should have an interest and all the State Govt. members.
These people are clearly deaf to North Midlands Council's protests. Also, Minister Warren Truss was being disingenuous when you look at the answer he gave to the Federal Member for Lyons, Eric Hutchinson, in parliament this last week.
Even if the airport is, as they say self-servicing, North Midlands Council might well start looking very carefully at the airport's compliance with local regulations enforceable by North Midlands Council.
North Midlands Council's ratepayers should expect that of them given that they are carrying the airport's load and given that they must pay rates or loose their property.
This issue is political and it needs a political solution. However, Cr Downie is being far too kind to Launceston Council and its GM Robert Dobrzynski.
Accountability is what's required and that is clearly absent in this issue.
Face it, we just don't know what real value is delivered by our Councils because they neither measure, nor report it. If they did, then we could tie rates charges to value received, and Councils wouldn't want that!
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