This topic applies to the real estate live category/living journey/house hold running expenses.
In this new topic (house hold running expenses series) we explore the rising costs in running your home, no matter whether you own or rent. (From rooms to age care)
Ok community, I know this will become a big topic, so please let it all out. We will also create some polls on this topic.
Shall we start with your local council rates increases?? 
What’s frustrating about rate increases is that they are often far in excess of inflation.
There a rule of 72 that can be used when dealing with percentages. So when a council predicts ongoing rates increases of 12%, what this means is that your rates bill will double every 6 years (72/12).
Are salaries expected to go up anywhere near this amount? It doesn’t seem like this is sustainable.
The rates increases seem excessive. I understand the need to fund essentials like water. But the increases over the past few years, and the forecasted increases over the coming years, are hard to swallow. Today’s ratepayers are paying for the under-investment in infrastructure and the mismanagement of council money from the past number of years AND paying to fix things for the future. One argument I’ve heard is that it is not fair to leave the problem for the future rate payers to fix (i.e.water). But, how is it fair that we should be paying both for the mistakes of the past and investment in the future? It’s not like most of us can just magically find more money to give the council.
The increases continue.
