The Retirement Living Council (RLC) has today released a survey of almost 300 retirement village residents impacted by the Cairns Regional Council's proposed rates changes - and the feedback is shocking.
The survey reveals hundreds of people will be severely impacted - and in some instances forced "to live under the poverty line" - by Cairns Council's proposal to hike rates by up to 800 per cent.
Undertaken between 14 April and 2 May, the survey was completed by 265 residents from six retirement villages in Cairns with more than 175 respondents providing written - and heartbreaking - feedback for Council.
Survey results
- 67% of respondents receive a full Age Pension, 20% receive a part Pension and superannuation, while 10% are self-funded. The remaining 3% receive income from a combination of family payments, other government schemes, or paid work.
- 34% of respondents said they would struggle to cover essentials under the proposed rates change, while 16% said they could not afford the increase at all. While 43% said they would need to cut back on non-essentials, just 7% said the increase could be accommodated.
- Most respondents do not receive government-funded support and a staggering 21% already struggle to meet regular expenses while 2% cannot meet current expenses.
- To pay increased council rates, respondents indicated they would start by cutting back on groceries and food, followed by transport, power and water bills, scaling back medical visits and reducing prescriptions.
Resident responses
Themes emerged from the verbatim commentary, underlined by a high level of emotional and financial distress among affected residents, with many people feeling betrayed or ignored by Council.
Key themes:
- Anger and accusation: "Immoral cash grab", "elder abuse", "shame on Council"
- Distress and vulnerability: "Stress", "anxiety", "fear of homelessness"
- Betrayal and loss of trust: "Broken promises", "hoodwinked", "ignored"
- Pleas for compassion: "Have a heart", "show understanding"
- Pride in contribution: "Built this country", "lifetime of service"
- Economic hardship and inflexibility: "Fixed incomes", "no way to earn more", "paying twice"
In written submissions, residents said they may be forced to cancel private cancer treatment, sell their car - sacrificing independence - or resort to eating Vegemite sandwiches for dinner just to get by.
"Just ignore Christmas, Easter, birthdays and anniversaries and wait to drop off the perch. I'll raise my glass and toast the councillors with a glass of water instead of a wine and wish you well," one person said in the survey.
Another person - in a heartbreaking message to Mayor Amy Eden - asked that she "consider people like myself who have no monetary reserves to fall back on and are facing the real possibility of homelessness".
One resident said, "this is an immoral cash grab, aimed squarely at those Council thought would be a soft target", while another rhetorically asked: "Would the Council like to pay for my funeral expenses as this has caused a great deal of stress".
Comments attributable to Retirement Living Council Executive Director, Daniel Gannon
"Council must put its hand up, acknowledge it's got this one wrong, and abandon its cruel cash grab on vulnerable Queenslanders.
"This proposal is having such a significant impact on residents that many can't eat or sleep because of the stress and anxiety they're experiencing.
"Sadly, some people believe they could become homeless, while others will cancel private cancer treatment, cut back on food, sell their cars or turn off the air-conditioner just to pay for the increase.
"This proposal from Council is truly awful and totally unjustifiable. These people deserve peace in their golden years, not to be squeezed like a cash cow just to top up a budget line.
"Given 20 per cent of Cairns' population will be over-65 by 2050, Council needs to prioritise policies that will accommodate and care for this ageing population, not force some into poverty or homelessness.
"This proposal isn't just hurting people; it's hurting Cairns' investment reputation and future supply pipeline as Australia cries out for more homes.
"Calculations show a pensioner living on approximately $1,100 per fortnight will be hit with an increase of up to $75 per month if the Council's plan is not abandoned. For one village and its residents, this means an 800 per cent rates increase."
