Rate Capping Policy

Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — I rise to speak on the Standing Committee on the Environment and Planning's third report into rate capping policy. Firstly, it is extraordinary to be standing here as a member of that committee today and only seeing the chair's foreword. It is pretty disrespectful for committee members to only see that at this time. I have to say I am pretty disappointed at the complete politicisation around this, and I do remind the house that the Greens were the only people who opposed rate capping.

We have heard an extraordinary amount of evidence in this tranche of hearings around this particular inquiry. I draw the house's attention to the evidence from New South Wales, who have been under a rate capping — they call it 'rate pegging' — scenario for many, many years. When you look at the infrastructure deficit in that state it does not augur well for Victoria. I would recommend that members actually read the transcript of evidence in relation to that, because it is a good live example.

I would like to say that the chair's foreword is in fact the chair's foreword, and it does not reflect the views of the committee. That is obvious, but I want to make it abundantly clear that that is the case. The other thing I want to point out is that what is becoming clear is the fact that regional and rural councils are going to feel the pain around rate capping in their communities much sooner than it is going to happen in the metropolitan area.

I do again want to thank the team who support the inquiry. They do an enormous amount of work. This is an enormously busy committee with many inquiries on the go, and I thank them for their efforts to get this work to the Parliament. So thank you.