- Hawkesbury Council increased rates by up to triple what they used to be
- Says it needs more money to fix roads in the area on Sydney’s outskirts
- Rate rise is forcing pensioners to sell houses they have owned for decades
Pensioners on the outskirts of Sydney are being forced to sell their houses after the local council tripled their rates.
Residents of Oakville are outraged by Hawkesbury Council changing its rates structure to boost revenue – some going from $2300 to $12,000.
Monica Castles said her bill jumped from $2,500 to to $9,300 and $400 of her meager fortnightly pension was needed to pay the new rates.
Pensioners on the outskirts of Sydney are being forced to sell their houses after the local council tripled their rates
Fritz Hofer, who has lived in Oakville for 41 years, said he had to dig into his savings to pay the the council and couldn’t afford it
‘I have friends that live in different areas around Oakville and their rates increased but increased by $50 and $90, but ours went up 300 per cent and it’s just not fair,’ she told 9 News.
Fritz Hofer, who has lived in Oakville for 41 years, said he had to dig into his savings to pay the the council and couldn’t afford it.
‘It’s just money grabbers at the moment. They send us broke, basically,’ he said.
Hawkesbury Council said it needed more money to fix the area’s roads
More may have to sell up and leave as the council has applied to pricing watchdog IPART to raise rates by another 31.29 per cent.
Hawkesbury Council said it needed more money to fix the area’s roads. IPART will make its decision in May.
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