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Page Last Updated:
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
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Home>Roads and Infrastructure>Special Rates and Charges Scheme
| Special Rates and Charges schemes may by used to provide the community with a range of infrastructure where required. This is common where property owners benefit directly from the works and as such contribute to its cost.
Colac Otway Shire strives to work in consultation and cooperation with property owners involved in order to bring about satisfactory and beneficial outcomes.
Schemes may be applied (but are not limited) to the following:
Roadworks
Easement drainage
Main drainage
Kerb and channel
Footpaths
Traffic management
Landscaping
Recreational facilities
Special events
Before proceding with a scheme, Council ensures there is a benefit to each property affected. This will depend on the type of infrastructure proposed.
Consultation is an essential element of the process and may be achieved in various ways including correspondence, brochures, public sessions/meetings, personal contact, etc.
The infrastructure team are always available to provide information and receive feedback on property owner's views and opinions.
Special Charge Scheme - General Procedure
1. Council receives a number of requests for infrastructure upgrade/creation.
2. Council decides if the works
- are new or upgrade existing infrastructure and
- benefit a relatively small number of ratepayers.
3. Council may survey all of the likely beneficiaries.
4. If Council gets a significant positive response from the survey, Council may proceed to design proposed works.
5. If Council decides to proceed with construction, the statutory procedure is -
- Issue Public Notice - The proposed design is presented to the participants. Participants who wish to object may do so to Council
- Council may proceed with the proposal as presented or abandon the scheme. If modifications are to be considered, the original scheme needs to be abandoned and a Public Notice needs to be reissued for any modified scheme
- If Council decides to proceed, after consideration of any objections, then Council declares the scheme and issues a First Notice. At this point participants may again object but this time objections go to VCAT (Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal)
- Issue Second Notice (if no further objections or the scheme is approved by VCAT). It is not until participants receive this Second Notice that they need to pay (Council may offer payment by instalments).
6. Council proceeds with construction of the scheme.
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