Community Infrastructure (Upkeep of Estate) Costs??

Firthy_26 · Jul 09, 2007 2:13 pm

I remember reading a similar topic a while back (too hard to find) on extra council costs for upkeep of the estate, which they call "Community Infrastructure costs"

Just got a call from our builder saying that our contracts have been drawn up, woohoo, & will be sent out to us. They gave me the heads up of our Estate (The Chase in Berwick) will be asking for these payments to be made before any building commencement take place. They estimate the costs being $400 - $500.

Has anyone else here been slung for these costs? If so, does $400 - $500 sound reasonable? Obviously different areas / estates will vary....

Cheers,
Mike.

stonecutter1309 · Jul 09, 2007 2:25 pm

Hey Firthy - Brookwater estate in Qld is $400 per quarter. Macquarie Links is $450 per quarter.

Check whether it's a one-off payment or something that is recurring.

Firthy_26 · Jul 09, 2007 2:31 pm

Stonecutter,

Definately a one off payment, checked with the council on that.

Our builder said that we me have payed it when we purchased the land (built in cost) but the council told us that this wasn't the case. They also told me it was in our section 32 "in very fine print". Must have been fine for us to miss it.

Cheers,
Mike.

mattwalker · Jul 09, 2007 2:33 pm

I read this as a joke!

Seriously...thats a rort!

You pay rates for maintenance to your council...

Do the sums on something like the chase in Berwick.... 850 lots at $400 per lot...thats $340,000 for what??? And if you have to pay it yearly how many gardeners do they employ??

Firthy_26 · Jul 09, 2007 2:45 pm

They were my thoughts about the rates too Matt.

When you do the sums it is hard to see where all the $$$ go to.

Cheers,
Mike.

Adrian B · Jul 09, 2007 2:53 pm

One of the things that turned us off Claremont Park in the west was the $500 upkeep fee. PER ANNUM, not a once off.

We 2 free gym memberships, big deal. WHAT DO I PAY RTES FOR is exactly the same question as above.

If they charge that fee to you until every block is sold, what happens if they stop advertising blocks available, yet there are 2 blocks left? ie does the fee keep going? I have heard it does, but we didnt go that far.

Soory its a compulsory gym membership.... :twisted:

stonecutter1309 · Jul 09, 2007 3:26 pm

If it's a one-off for infrastructure - then maybe it's for roads, shopping centres etc.

Most developers are charged some sort of levy by the State Govt (in NSW at least) for new released land because they haven't been organised enough to put aside money for all this infrastructure!

mudtrilogy · Jul 14, 2007 2:31 pm

We too are building in the chase and had to pay this levy before council would look at the plans. I am pretty sure it does not just apply to the chase but the whole of the city of casey. AV Jennings did tell us about it when picked up the contracts.

If normal rates are for upkeep of services then I think this one off to construct the bones of the estate is fair. That being said with the number of estates and homes being built in Casey they are making a fortune out of this.

off2theburbs · Jul 15, 2007 3:10 pm

We pay $300 once off but have a $100 a year fee for the security at the estate. Not to bad i thought

Firthy_26 · Jul 16, 2007 12:19 pm

...The total was $567.00 & Casey council said that there are 10 estates in Casey with a levy (and The Chase was the dearest!!)

Had a look thru our land contract & it did have the levy in there. It also had a cost of $440.00 back then (just over 2 years ago). I would have thought that it would be a "fixed price" also...

Cheers,
Mike.

pasey25 · Jul 20, 2007 2:44 pm

I pay around $150 a quarter for my estate. Pays for the upkeep of the private country club (Gym/pool/tennis courts/clubhouse)

turtie22 · Jul 23, 2007 2:16 am

i went to check out alamanda at point cook on sat. the sales person told me that there's gonna be a body corporate fee of $900+/year for the upkeeping of the clubhouse and estate. there are going to be abt 1000 over lots of land in that estate in total. so that's abt $900k/year. i wonder why is so much money needed to run club house with a cafe, a couple of tennis courts and a swimming pool.

i changed my mind totally abt that block of land on learning abt high body corporate fee.

PhoenixStar · Aug 22, 2007 1:30 pm

We have just purchased land at The Chase in Berwick. We were aware of the one off infrastructure levy of $400. We were initially going to build with AVJ (Who are the land developers too) and they were going to pay it for us in the house & land Pkg. But we are now looking at Henley and we will have to pay it i would assume before we can build on the land.
As long as it is a once off fee. It is nice to know that we are living in an estate where there are plenty of parks for the kids. A new school coming in 2008 and kinders and a community centre. As a family with 2 kids, we can afford the once off payment. I couldn't justify it if it was an annual fee though.

PhoenixStar · Sep 24, 2007 11:19 am

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had our tender meeting on Friday and were told that we should arrange to pay our $450 council infrastructure levy as the builder (H) will not be able to apply for the building permit without it..... FINE....

Our tender meeting went for 3.5 hours so finished after 5.00pm, council offices shut so can't do it straight away......FINE......

Husband rang up this morning to pay over the phone, no point driving down again to pay it in person.......FINE......

IT'S GONE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

$574.00 NOW, NO EXCEPTIONS, DUE TO CPI INCREASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :evil:

Maybe i'm DUMB, but i didn't notice that CPI had increased by 21.6%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Done City of Casey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :n:

Can't wait to vote in that municipality......

Sorry guys, had to vent on this one,,,,,,,

Firthy_26 · Sep 24, 2007 11:34 am

At least they remembered to remind you at the tender appointment... :evil:

They also told us it was around the $400 mark, which nearly all the estates in Casey with this levy are... I guess we are just the lucky ones with The Chase.

I see it's gone up another $7 in the last month or so.... They're good aren't they

Cheers,
Mike.

Amber · Sep 24, 2007 11:36 am

I wouldn't mind a CPI payrise of that amount (rather than the 3% they continually tell us).

That really sucks Phoenix. We are fortunate that although we built in the City of Casey we didn't have to pay this fee.

Best pay it quickly before they decide to put it up again due to councillor's pay rises or something equally as ridiculous.

PhoenixStar · Sep 24, 2007 11:42 am

Thanks guys, yes hubby reluctanly paid it this morning over the phone, but tried to negotiate it first, without luck. Anyway done now, but still not happy..... :evil:

Adrian B · Sep 24, 2007 11:45 am

Make sure your nature strip is mowed monthly, the plants on the nature strip watered and fertilised, and the estate is clean. if not hassle the hell out of them. If they want to charge you for it, they can work for it. :lol:

PhoenixStar · Sep 24, 2007 12:02 pm

Now that's another issue i have, we are located on a sort of coner block at the tope end of a T court configuration. We have the nature strip in front of our block and one on the side that is shared between up and another neighbour. Who mow's the one on the side? If we do both, then this neighbour who's block runs at a 90 degree angle to the T of the court, gets away with not mowing any. Can't have that now can we????

I didn't think that the councils mowed the nature strips for us- is that what they use the money for???? Anyone shed some light on that one???

Firthy_26 · Sep 24, 2007 12:14 pm

Hey Pheonix,

We bought our block over 2 years ago & I can tell you that the grass (weeds) never got over a foot high. The council did do a good job of regularly slashing the block & other blocks in the area I must say. You would have to mow the nature strip once in though.

I reckon some of the levy goes to keeping those geese fed. How huge are they!! Nasty buggers too :shock:

Mike.