THE City Of Launceston will this Monday discuss whether to collect fire service rates for retirements homes.
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The council has until now exempted retirement homes from these service rates as it does with general rates.
Corporate services director Michael Tidey in a report to alderman wrote that it was believed that independent living units within retirement homes did not meet the requirements for a statutory exemption.
“The application of service rates on a consistent basis is an important for two policy reasons,” he said.
“Firstly, in the terms of the equity of everyone who can access the services contributing to its cost and secondly to do otherwise creates an inequity whereby ratepayers with properties of similar value, do not make the same contribution for the same service - one funds the other.”
Mr Tidey said 10 councils were contacted ahead of writing the report and all indicated they applied the fire service rates to retirement homes.
He has recommended that the council cease remission of fire service rates from July 1.
The application of fire service rates is expected to raise $100,000 from retirement homes.
The state fire service rate is levied by the council on behalf of the state government to contribute toward funding the State Fire Commission.
At Monday’s meeting, council aldermen will review a motion from a public meeting held last week on the university redevelopment at Inveresk.
The meeting, attended by 132 people, passed a motion that called on the council to rescind its decision to transfer land to the University of Tasmania for free and that the land be auctioned publicly at a starting price of $5 million.
The council received 22 submissions on their decision to transfer land, though 11 of these submissions were received from three parties.
The council will also consider giving TLA Group Catering a two-year extension for management of Victoria’s Cafe at Albert Hall.