GOLD COAST BULLETIN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate was dealt an embarrassing blow, forced to admit the council would have to cough up millions of dollars for the carbon tax despite publicly vowing not to pay the federal excise.

During the 2012 local government election campaign Cr Tate said his administration would not contribute to carbon pricing.

Again in January 2013 Cr Tate said the council would not pay Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s controversial tax. However, the Mayor conceded the council could not get out of paying the expected $5 million bill.

Ratepayers would feel the pain with council bureaucrats anticipating a 1 per cent increase to the average

household rates notice to cover the tax, at a cost of $30.

It was understood Cr Tate did not expect the Gillard government would still be in power before July 1, with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott determined to repeal the carbon tax legislation. However, repealing of the legislation was considered unlikely to occur before 2015 or 2016 when the Greens-controlled Senate was up for re-election.

A spokesman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said Cr Tate

had misled ratepayers.

‘‘It is now clear that Tom Tate was misleading ratepayers when he claimed council would not meet its carbon price liability,’’ he said.

‘‘The Gillard government expected the carbon price to have a modest impact on council rates.

‘‘The carbon price has been in place for nearly nine months with none of the adverse impacts predicted by Cr Tate.’’

Cr Tate said the payment of the tax would be noted on rates bills.