The call follows debate on the valuation issue. Ballarat’s percentage in the dollar for calculating commercial rates is .010 per cent, twice that of Geelong at .005 per cent.

One business owner in the CBD told The Courier valuations on her property had increased markedly over the past four years, to the extent she felt the current value was out of all proportion to the building or the site.

She echoed calls by Raceline Motorcycles owner Matt Polson for council to discuss rate relief in the face of business stress in the city.

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A search of the state government’s Know Your Council website shows the City of Ballarat has a higher percentage (.59 per cent) of rates raised divided by current improved value (CIV) than either Bendigo (.52 per cent) or Geelong (.40 per cent).

However they’re significantly lower than Mildura (.81 per cent) or Shepparton (.76 per cent).

Another investor with properties in both Bendigo and Ballarat told The Courier residential rates maintained a steady pattern with minor increases, but the commercial pattern over a decade was haphazard with significant increases even in years when the consumer price index (CPI) fell.

He said it is a ‘recurring story’ within the business community that investment was being directed to Geelong rather than Ballarat, and he preferred his Bendigo properties as investments over the Ballarat properties because there was less rate impost with more services available.

Council’s rate valuations have been outsourced to property valuation and advisory service Opteon. The Courier has placed a request with Opteon to discuss how commercial rates are calculated.

In other council statistics available on the Know Your Council website, 100 per cent of the City of Ballarat’s planning decisions referred to VCAT in the past year were upheld. This was in comparison to just 55 per cent of decisions at comparable councils and 59 per cent over all Victorian councils. Planning costs were around $500 less in Ballarat.

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