THE Shoalhaven has some of the best industrial land in the state and the lowest set-up costs and that should be promoted to encourage new business to the city rather than arguing over commercial rates, according to prominent South Nowra businessman John Lamont.
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Mr Lamont, who has won the Shoalhaven Businessperson of the Year on two occasions and has been a strong advocate of promoting growth for local business, has until now remained silent in the war over commercial rates in the Nowra CBD and other areas.
“The changes proposed in the rate levy by a few select developers are unfair,” he said.
“Unfortunately, all the arguing over the rates issue is splintering the town, rather than everyone working for the benefit of the whole business community.
“Is any rate reduction going to have a force caveat to pass onto the actual business operators?
“Or will it all just line the pockets of the developers?
“If they want to reduce rates then spending on the CBD should reduce with the rate reduction, which would economically disadvantage the business traders within the CBD.
“The debate over commercial rates needs to be turned around to how the area can attract new business to the city.
“We have some of the best industrial land in the state and the lowest set-up costs.”
Mr Lamont said the difference in rates between the Nowra CBD and South Nowra could be demonstrated by the difference in services offered between the two areas.
“There is a great amount of infrastructure in the CBD, which provides economic development to those who pay rates in the CBD,” he said.
“Commercial landowners receive value from these rates through higher rents, return on investment and occupancy.
“Developers are currently complaining about the issue of higher CBD rates when these same people are actually still investing in the CBD, and not at South Nowra or other areas in the Shoalhaven which would welcome the investment.”
Mr Lamont said there were a number of services provided to the Nowra CBD other areas did not receive.
He said at South Nowra there was no free parking, it was paid for by developers on land that could be used for development; no footpaths; no kerb and guttering along several streets including Flinders Road and Bellevue Street; no services such as street sweeping, seats, garbage bins etc, with businesses paying for their own rubbish collection.
He also cited the lack of public spaces such as Jelly Bean Park or Junction Court to bring people to the area and boost trade and a lack of street scaping, gardens or trees with businesses required to provide their own.
“There is limited lawn mowing and storm water drain maintenance – we pay $4000 a year just to have our area mowed,” Mr Lamont said.
“Even though we maintain our area, the nearby Albatross Road drains aren’t often maintained, resulting in flooding when it rains.
“We don’t have signage to promote access or trade, there are no cafes or social business events and a limit on what can be developed in an industrial area as far as business is concerned, which limits trade.”
Mr Lamont said he would like to raise the issue at next week’s meeting of Shoalhaven City Council’s Business Employment and Development Committee and move to get a factual comparison of rates across the city and the economic benefit to the landholders on return in investment and economic benefit as far as employment by encouraging development to the region into dedicated industrial areas such as Flinders Estate.
