Rate rises for Morawa and Perenjori shires up 5 per cent due to increased expenditure and wage increases

Property owners in Perenjori and Morawa are set to see rates rises of up to 5 per cent after the two councils adopted their 2022-23 budgets in recent meetings. Perenjori councillors last Thursday voted for an average rate rise of 5 per cent. The council stated that although the town’s total rates would increase 5 per cent, rates would vary between properties as a result of changes to valuations. The 5 per cent rise leaves residential property owners paying a minimum rate of $374 and collecting a total of $3,378,411 from ratepayers in the next financial year. A 10 per cent discount will apply for the early payment of rates. Property owners in Morawa will see rates rise an average of 4 per cent. The minimum rate payment for residential property owners would be $324.50. The proposed 4 per cent rise would collect a a total of $2,551,128 from ratepayers in the next financial year. A discount of 1.5 per cent would be applied if rates are paid in full before September 30. Shire of Perenjori president Chris King said the 5 per cent rate rise was due to the Shire’s expenditure being considerably higher and the rise was fairly even across the board. “Our operating expenditure is $1.4 million. Road construction, material and fuel prices have gone up and employee costs have gone up a lot since last year ... in our case it’s partly due to wage increases,” he said. Cr King said the Shire was focused on increasing employment and wages in the Shire. “We’re back on track from where we were a few years ago and employed a new CEO and new staff. From my point of view we are looking onward and upward,” he said.