The City of Playford have backed down on proposed controversial changes to their rating policies in the face of a ratepayer backlash. Hundreds of local people jammed the Civic Centre last night to hear councillors acknowledge that the proposals ‘needed to be taken back to the drawing board’ and a more genuine engagement process undertaken before any changes could be re-considered. The Decision mirrors representations made to the Council by local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo, who has welcomed the change of heart by elected members. Mr Piccolo wrote to the Mayor Glenn Docherty and councillors last month asking the Council “to rethink” the proposed changes to their rating policies following representations he received from angry ratepayers in the City of Playford Council area. Mr Piccolo said the proposed changes would have seen some Market gardeners paying double to more than three times their current rate, while homeowners in the new Playford Alive area would have also be heavily hit. “Properties with a capital value of more than about $250,000 will incur rate increases, in addition to any general rate increases,” Mr Piccolo warned in his letter. “The proposed rate increases would certainly have had a negative financial impact on residents in the Munno Para, Munno Para West and Munno Para Downs areas.” Mr Piccolo said. In his letter, Mr Piccolo said that based on his own experience as an elected member, he urged the Council to engage with the community further and explore a broader range of rating policy models that may be more acceptable to a majority of ratepayers. “While this may result in a delay in any policy implementation, it may be a small price to pay compared to the ongoing criticism Council is likely to receive from a community that believes the ‘consultation’ process has been tokenistic. Mr Piccolo said that such a massive increase in rates would be too difficult for some landowners to absorb into their businesses in one year. “I have received numerous representations from ratepayers regarding the proposals the Council was considering to adopt,” Mr Piccolo said. “PriMary producers would have potentially be hit the hardest by the policy proposal,” Mr Piccolo said. “I can understand that Council is keen to promote economic activity by reducing rates on ‘commercial’ properties, but I am at a loss to understand why ‘priMary producers’ are not treated as small businesses. “PriMary Production properties currently attract a lower rate, however, the enormous increase proposed by Option 1 would have made it very difficult for some priMary producers to absorb, and this can only result in lower employment in the horticulture sector. “PriMary Producers in the Munno Para West/Downs area and Angle Vale would have been hit by these increases. “In my correspondence to Mayor Docherty, I noted that while a number of residential properties would have received some relatively minor rate relief, a number of residents would have experienced quite significant rate increases.