The ACT government is working to re-design the rates assessment notices that created confusion for some Canberra homeowners by making it appear as though the full year's bill had to be paid at once, rather than in instalments.
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Last year, the government issued rates notices with "PLEASE PAY NOW" printed in the top right-hand corner in a large box, along with the total bill for the year.
The various payment options were listed in a less prominent area on the back of the notice.
Residents including Watson man George Gamkrelidze, who wrote to a letter to the editor in The Canberra Times to warn fellow Canberrans, derided the notices as misleading.
ACT Greens treasury spokeswoman Caroline Le Couteur called on the government to make the notices clearer, in a motion brought forward in the Legislative Assembly.
Ms Le Couteur said a major trigger that led people to move from being financially stretched to being in financial hardship was the arrival of bills like rates notices, and it was crucial that payment options were made as clear as possible.
With the motion having passed the Assembly, an ACT government spokeswoman said the government was addressing the issues raised.
The spokeswoman said the government had aimed to make rates notices "simpler and clearer for Canberra homeowners to read and understand" with the change in format last year.
But she conceded the new-look notices sent to households in 2018 had created uncertainty for some ratepayers.
"The government has heard and understood feedback from the community that the re-design of the rates notices has resulted in confusion for some Canberra householders," the spokeswoman said.
"All annual rates notices have now been issued for the 2018-19 year, but we are using this feedback to inform further design work on the notices for future years, including addressing the issues raised through the Greens’ Assembly motion."
The territory government has already taken action on another aspect of Ms Le Couteur's motion, which called for the government to write to all residential ratepayers who received concessions to explain the payment options available to them, including deferrals.
These letters were sent to some 13,700 Canberra households last month.
"Life in Canberra can be a tale of two cities," Ms Le Couteur said.
"While Canberra is a high-income community with a growing economy, a substantial number of Canberrans struggle financially and rely on federal government assistance payments to make ends meet.
“By ensuring that those eligible concession holders who pay rates know what supports are available to them, we’re working to ensure that the system is fairer for all.”
The next batch of ACT government rates assessment notices is due to be issued in August 2019.
