Suncoast Connect

A new rate system or levy system is essential for local councils throughout Australia.

Here are some of my thoughts on the matter:-

A levy will be imposed as set out below and a credit to the rate applied by council will be set out as below. The actual amounts are not in my realm of nastiness, maybe $50 per levy point?

1. Any new house bigger than 100 square metres will be levied 4 levy points per year unless the family buying the house is more than 2 people. 50 square metres per person will be allowed before a levy is imposed.

2. Any household with more than one car will be levied two levy points per car per year. No exceptions.

3. Any household with a four wheel drive will be levied two levy points unless the household is a farm. 4WD in suburbia are unnecessary and dangerous and help destroy our suburban roads very quickly.

4. Any household with an air conditioning system will be levied 4 levy points per year. Air conditioning is a very recent phenomena in Queensland. For the first 130 years the state has existed no one had air conditioning. We survived by building houses that will catch the breeze and planted shade trees to cool the house. Louvred windows and fans were the only cooling necessary. Air conditioners require more coal powered electricity generators to be built, require high voltage power lines to be strung through our suburbs and cause massive noise pollution in their running.

5. Any household with a pool will levied with 10 levy points per year. Swimming pools use massive amounts of electricity and water and pump chemicals into our rivers and air.

6. Any house footprint that takes up more than 50% of the block of land will be levied 10 levy points per year for a 60% footprint, 50 levy points per year for 70% footprint, 150 levy points per year for 80% footprint, 500 levy points per year for 90% footprint and 2000 levy points per year for anything above 90% footprint. The house footprint will now include all out buildings, ie garage, shed, verandah, pergola, pool, pool buildings.

7. Any household with two people living in a building with more than 2 bedrooms will be levied 20 levy points per year for each bedroom not being used.

8. Building will be banned within 100m of the current high tide mark and less than 10m above sea level. This is because of the state and federal government concerns about sea level rises over the next 80-90 years. No exceptions.

9. No council work will be undertaken to save buildings, beaches and dune systems from rising sea levels.

10. Credits. Council will provide rating credits at an amount to be determined for households that have solar power cells, solar hot water, rain water tanks and minimal amounts of grass.

I can understand where you're coming from arcobelina...but it all appears a bit rich!

What happens if you rent a house. You don't have any say in the position, structure and contents, or being able to change any of it, but will be penalised nonetheless.

And I hate concrete. Give me a garden every time.

I think we could do a lot more to help the environment if we assessed and adapted government and industrial buildings to meet some of your criteria, then we might get somewhere.