Finalisation of a Special Charge Scheme for construction of Duke Street, Granville Street, Palmerston Street and part of High Street, Drysdale

The Agenda for the Geelong Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday 27 July 2010 has been published on the City of Greater Geelong website. Of interest to Drysdale / Clifton Springs residents is the finalisation of a special charge scheme for the construction of Duke Street, Granville Street, Palmerston Street and part of High Street, Drysdale - commly referred to as the Duke Street group. Below is an extract from the agenda:
DUKE STREET GROUP OF STREETS, DRYSDALE - SRC 296 - FINALIZATION OF SCHEME
Portfolio: Transport & Infrastructure - Cr Richards
Source: City Services - Engineering Services
General Manager: Gary Van Driel
Index Reference: Subject: Special Rates and Charges
Street: Duke Street

Summary

• This report relates to the finalisation of a Special Charge Scheme for construction
  of Duke Street, Granville Street, Palmerston Street and part of High Street, Drysdale, known as the Duke Street group of streets as shown in the attached plan – Appendix 13-2.
• Council declared a special charge for the scheme on 11 March 2008.
• The scheme involved 58 properties as shown on Plan – Appendix 13-2.
• The scheme has been prepared in accordance with the Special Rates and Charges provisions of the Local Government Act along with Council’s Comprehensive Infrastructure Funding Policy.
• The report seeks a resolution by Council to ‘vary’ the special charge for the works to finalise the Duke Street Group of Streets, Drysdale Special Charge Scheme. The process is shown in Attachment 13-1 – Process Chart.

Recommendation
That Council having declared a special charge on 11 March, 2008 for the purposes of defraying the expenses in relation to the construction of Duke Street between Wyndham Street and Newcombe Street, Granville Street, Palmerston Street and High Street, Drysdale (Appendix 13-2 – Plan) in accordance with Section 163 of the Local Government Act 1989 (the Act) resolves that:
1) the special charges as declared be varied in accordance with actual costs incurred on the project as required by Section 166 of the Act as shown in Schedule A – Appendix 13-1;
2) the General Manager of Corporate Services is authorised to levy and recover the special charges by sending notices to the persons who are liable to pay in accordance with Section 166 of the Act and the Regulations; and
3) in accordance with Section 172, the rate of interest which is payable on the special charges which have not been paid by the specified date is set at Council’s overdraft rate, reviewed every three months (provided that it shall not exceed the rate fixed by the Governor in Council by Order for the purposes of Section 172 2A in which case the rate of interest shall be the maximum rate fixed by the Governor in Council by Order for the purposes of the Section). The interest is to be calculated from the date the special charge is due, with a six months interest free period, providing those persons who choose to pay by instalments adhere to their repayment plan.

A plan of the affect properties is reproduced below:

More information is available from the Geelong council Agenda for 27 July 2010 - in pdf format (6280kb).