MEDIA RELEASE
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31 May, 2017
The Mayor of Blacktown City, Stephen Bali, has congratulated NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian for having the courage to stop a flawed process before further damage was done.
“It was clear the Fire and Emergency Services Levy was ill-conceived and was going to cause a lot of pain to the community,” Mayor Bali said.
“It is a strong leader who is willing to recognise potential failure and act to head off disaster, rather than grimly soldiering on, unprepared to back down.
“I encourage the Premier to take the same approach to other decisions – such as forced local council amalgamations and tolling the M4,” he said.
Mayor Bali said he had been contacted by many Blacktown residents and ratepayers who said they would be far worse off under the proposed scheme.
“We could not find one person who said they were better off or had a saving: indeed it was exactly the reverse.
“One resident told me he paid a $66.62 insurance levy last year and faced a $230.31 levy under the new system.
“This was replicated across the Council area and flies in the face of the NSW’s assurances we would be better off under the proposed scheme,” he said.
Mayor Bali said this year’s Blacktown rates notices will go out as usual and are expected to go out on time, despite the change.
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