Dillon pledges council run as rate petition racks up 10,000 signatures

Not only that, the Goulburn Ratepayers Action Group, of which she is a member, will form an independent ticket at the September 14, 2024 election.

Ms Dillon has been campaigning against the council's proposed 51.2pc rate rise, split over three years. An application and public submissions are before the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

"I will be on the council ticket. We hope to have five or six people on it and I'll be very surprised if they're not elected," she said.

"I've become very passionate about the issue because it's so unfair. Sometimes you have to stand up when you feel something is wrong."

It would be a return to 'the fray' for Ms Dillon if elected. The Goulburn accountant served on the council from 2008 to 2012.

If IPART approved the rise, even in reduced form, Ms Dillon would still nominate in September. But if it didn't agree, she said there "wouldn't be such a need" to nominate.

Her announcement came as she advised Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman that a public petition opposing the rate rise had collected more than 10,000 signatures. It triggers the document's debate in state parliament.

But Ms Tuckerman said with Parliament not sitting in April and the May 9 to 16 sitting week full, the petition wouldn't be debated until June.

This will come after IPART's expected final decision in May on the council's rate application.

Ms Dillon said despite this, the petition would still gain attention and demonstrate the level of community concern.

The document has collected 10,300 signatures. People did not have to be from Goulburn Mulwaree to sign and could be any age but Ms Dillon said 98pc were from the council area. She expected the petition to have up to 12,000 signatures by the March 31 closing date.

A "dedicated team" of about 20 people has collected signatures at shopping malls, annual shows and through door-knocking.

"I've been pleasantly surprised by the response," she said.

"People really want to get involved because some said they hadn't heard about it (rate increase) while a lot thought it wasn't going ahead."

Prominent business people had also joined the action group. Ms Dillon said the group was now registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and would likely become a ratepayers association in future.

Ms Tuckerman said the petition would be hand-delivered to Parliament House next week.

"At least it will be on the House floor and the minister can tell us what he'll do," she said.

The MP said she'd met with local government minister Ron Hoenig about Goulburn Mulwaree's special rate variation and the fact that many other councils were applying for rate rises.

She had pressed the need to make councils financially sustainable, something she acknowledged Mr Hoenig was trying to achieve through an Upper House inquiry. He originally asked IPART to examine this aspect but withdrew the terms of reference in preference for the Upper House inquiry which would deliver an outcome sooner.

Ms Tuckerman said she stressed the importance of doing this work quickly. A report is expected in September.

She told The Post she'd fielded numerous representations form the community, particularly business people, about the council's rate rise. They had voiced concerns about the increased cost of living, including electricity and insurance bills.

In addition she had met with Mayor Peter Walker.

"I think it couldn't come at a worse time and that's always been my position," she said.

The council says the rate hike is needed to achieve financial sustainability.