Canberra Liberals leader calls for certainty on rates rebates

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the government would push ahead with a 3.75 per cent rates increase from July but he signalled further rates rebates could be on the agenda.

However, a final decision won't be made until June, when Mr Barr will reveal the annual rates costs for Canberra suburbs for the 2021-22 financial year.

Opposition Leader and shadow treasurer Elizabeth Lee said the government needed to be open and transparent about rates costs and if there would be a rebate.

"There appears to very little information about how many Canberra households might be offered a rebate, who qualifies for a rebate or if there will be a rebate at all," she said.

"Many Canberrans are already struggling with the massive increases to their rates imposed by this government. They need clarity about how much more their rates will cost in the coming years."

Mr Barr reaffirmed on Thursday morning the decision would be made next month, before the end of the financial year.

Rates are typically delivered as part of the ACT budget in June. While the 2021-22 territory budget has been pushed back to August, Mr Barr will still announce rates costs next month.

A rebate of $150 was given to all Canberra homeowners last year as part of the government's coronavirus stimulus response.

Rates bills also fell for about 110,000 Canberra households, but while those ratepayers paid less this financial year, actual rates rose for 60,000 households - the $150 rebate offset the rise.

About 36,000 Canberra households had a higher rates bill this financial year, even with the rebate.

In June last year, Mr Barr's office originally told The Canberra Times rates would rise for about 18,000 properties in 2020-21, but this was revised to 36,500 the following morning.

"Last year it was promised 18,000 households would be hit with a rates increase and in fact over 60,000 households were slugged with increases," Ms Lee said.

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The Canberra Liberals promised a four-year rates freeze ahead of last year's ACT election. However, the party was not clear on how it would be funded and suffered its sixth straight electoral defeat.

Ms Lee said the party wanted a fairer rates system and it was an area being worked on in terms of policy development. She said it would be informed by community feedback.

"We still firmly believe that there should be a fairer rates system," she said.

"I still get a lot of feedback from Canberrans who are being very, very much bogged down with huge rates increases, despite the [rebate] during COVID.

"I'm very much open to discussing, liaising and getting feedback from the community about what a fairer rates system looks like. That's something my team and I will be working towards."

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