This newsletter is about Council Rates, New Occupancy details, Email contact collection details, Boat Insurance Updates & ‘What a load of Rubbish’, Information about Council Rates, New Occupancy, Emails,
Council Rates update
Thank you very much to everyone who has in some way supported the challenge to the City of Port Adelaide Enfield’s proposal to increase council rates for marina and hard stand berths. In addition to increasing the already high cost of recreational boating, Council’s action would ultimately threaten the long term value of your berth!
The challenge goes on, with a number of encouraging developments and while we can not yet report a wholly positive outcome at this stage, Council have conceded that implementation should be spread over seven years instead of the five originally proposed.
It is also obvious that there are now a number of Port Adelaide Enfield councillors who agree that the rise in rates as currently proposed by the Council is unfair and unreasonable and it is clear that there is a growing preparedness among councillors to consider alternatives.
It is vital that we do not let the ‘heat’ go out of this challenge!
Visit the Cruising Yacht Club of SA’s web page devoted to this issue (http://cycsa.com.au/rates.html ) and keep up to date with developments. Representations by the yacht clubs and marina committees are ongoing and need to the very vocal support of the members.
The rates issue is currently being fought on two fronts:
Firstly, directly with the Port Adelaide Enfield Council to convince them to modify their proposal and implement a fair rating model that reflects the actual value of the berth without imposing a ‘minimum rate’. Applying a minimum rate effectively creates an artificial rateable value of around $132,000 for every berth , instead of the current average of around $45,000, almost tripling the rates payable.
Secondly, at a state level through the Boating Industry Association, all yacht clubs and marina committees are lobbying both to the Local Government Association (LGA) and State Government to recognise marina berths in the Local Government Act as a unique class of rateable asset and provide a basis for a fair and equitable rating model. At their recent AGM the LGA passed a motion to ‘investigate whether there is sufficient evidence across Local Government to support a separate categorization of marina berths within the Local Government Act.’ A small but important step!
We are very grateful for the strong support and advice received from our local ward councillors Cr Peter Jamieson and Cr Bruce Johansen, and also from the office of Susan Close MP, Sate Member for Port Adelaide.
New occupant?
Over time occupancy of berths will change. Berths will be sold or leased and some owners may change their boats. In common with every other marina in Australia, Section 7 of the Strata Articles requires that unit holders immediately advise of any change of occupancy of their berth. This is so that we can be confident that every boat in the marina is appropriately insured, and that strata administration have correct contact details in the event of any emergency situation.
A recent on site audit of the marina revealed many changes with around a quarter of the boats in the berths not matching marina records.
To make it as easy as possible for you to advise of any changes, Siebel & Siebel will post a tenancy form on their website at www.siebelsiebel.com.au/ under ‘Rental Properties’.
In future, when the occupancy of your berth changes, just download and complete the form and fax, mail or email back to Siebel and Siebel.
Your assistance in this important matter will help ensure that every vessel in the marina is appropriately insured and boat owners can be contacted quickly in the event of an emergency.
Insurance updates
It’s easy to overlook the important requirement to provide the admin office with an updated copy of your boat insurance each year, so to help you remember the quarterly strata fee notices will in future include a reminder when your insurance cover is due to lapse during the coming quarter.
Another even easier method is to name ‘Strata14007’ as an ‘interested party’ on your insurance policy and the insurance company will advise the strata on your behalf each time you renew your cover. This has no other effect whatsoever and confers no legal benefit to the strata, other than being advised that the policy is current. Worth a thought!
Email….
And on the theme of making things easier! We would like to move toward increased use of email to reduce the expense to unit holders of mail-outs. Not only will it be less costly to operate (currently around $200 a time!) but you would be quickly informed and updated on any important matters affecting our marina, for example, ongoing developments in the rates battle, the recent installation of the gate on the rubbish compound, the issue of the CYC new ‘seawall’.
Just email: ‘reception@siebelsiebel.com.au’ and you will be added to the marina email list.
What a load of rubbish!
Apparently the instruction on the padlock of the new compound gate rubbed off, so many were unaware to use the red toilet block key.
Unfortunately this resulted in many just throwing their rubbish over the fence.
The management committee has had the mess cleaned up and asks for your cooperation in keeping the area spotless.
(NB If we had all your email addresses we could have let everyone know directly about the red key!)
Please avoid this!
Someone (the owner?) has placed a piece of red tape on this dangerously protruding anchor to warn people, but the real answer is obviously for this (deliberately unidentified) boat to be re-moored correctly, within the bounds of the berth. Boats allowed to protrude over walkways are a danger to marina users and present potential legal issues in the event of personal injury. All boat owners are asked to assist by ensuring their boats are correctly moored at all times.