by Sahar Foladi
In a debate spanning more than a decade, a resident has stood up to seek answers on the ongoing $350 Keysborough South maintenance levy.
Only 4560 ratepayers in Keysborough South have been paying the levy for tending to the neighbourhood’s 20 per cent open space – four times more open space than other estates.
They are a fraction of more than 16,000 residents living in the suburb.
Emmanuella Vella attended the council meeting on 22 July and raised the issue at public question time.
“We’re subjected to a maintenance levy of $350 while 5000 residents or any other people which use their 20 per cent extra open space don’t have to pay it and yet we do.
“There are certain individuals paying and other not paying – so it’s all over the shop with no concept. I feel that everybody should pay or no one should pay.”
The 20 per cent open space includes parks and reserves from Springvale Road down to Greens Road, covering the estates around Chapel Rd, Tyers Lane, Stanley Road and Perry Road as well as Tatterson Park.
The levy, collected by the council since 2011-’12, is placed in a Keysborough Maintenance Levy Reserve Fund.
According to the council website, the projected reserve balance as of 30 June 2023 was at $2.12 million.
“What’s a kick in the teeth too is not only is it $350 at the moment, there’s some talk now that the levy will be increased by Consumer Price Index,” Mr Vella said.
According to the council’s May 2016 report ‘Keysborough South Maintenance Levy Information/Newsletters to Owners’, the council and the developer entered into an agreement for the developer to establish and maintain the open space for an initial three year period. It would then revert to the council to maintain the spaces.
Councillor Rhonda Garad raised questions of her own about the agreement, and called out the “unfair process.”
“If (homebuyers) did accept it, what were the terms it was accepted in?
“It’s not working very well where almost 5000 dwellings are paying for this and everyone else is benefiting including other residents in Dandenong.”
While the levy could be increased from $350 by CPI, Greater Dandenong city futures executive director Sanjay Manivasagasivam says the council doesn’t have any plans to increase the amount.
“Keysborough South’s beautiful network of extensive open spaces is one of the characteristics that make it such an appealing place to live.
“The Keysborough South open space maintenance levy is charged on an ongoing basis, to ensure we can continue to maintain these abundant open spaces for the local community to enjoy.
“Most properties in the area pay the levy so maintenance costs are distributed as evenly as possible and we don’t have any current plans to increase the levy.”
According to the council levy report, the estates within Keysborough South were designed to “create a network of green” allowing residents to enjoy the space of “active and passive recreation.”
In 2013, the council explored other options such as removing the levy and passing costs onto all residents, either reducing the quality of open space or “even the ability to sell open space to reduce the current percentage from 20 per cent to a figure closer to traditional estates.”
However, neither of these options was considered as a “appropriate outcome.”
The issue was also raised as a “late election issue” back in 2020.
