RateGate campaign to address cost of living pressures for struggling families.
“I expect that cost of living pressures are going to be a major battleground in the upcoming federal election, and rightly so,” she said.
“The Federal Treasurer has hinted that targeted measures will be introduced in the upcoming Federal Budget to address the rising costs of living, and both the big parties like to talk about issues that affect the hip pocket.
“Rates are often one of the biggest bills facing struggling families, especially in our electorate where rates bills are up to six times higher than those in metropolitan areas.
“Despite this being an obvious place to start for easing the cost of living for rural and regional families, the big parties are missing in action.”
Last month, Ms Cupper wrote to 61 Victorian MPs across State and Federal Parliament, inviting them to support the RateGate campaign. Not one of the big party MPs has offered their support.
“The evidence is clear. The big parties are failing us on regional rate reform,” she said.
Since her election to the Victorian Parliament in 2018 Ms Cupper, herself a former Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Mildura, has campaigned tirelessly to address the scandalous disparity in rates between rural and metropolitan ratepayers.
Ms Cupper wants both major parties to commit to increasing the quantum of the Financial Assistance Grants program from 0.55 per cent to at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue.
She also is lobbying for legislative changes to provide states more flexibility when allocating Financial Assistance Grant funding, so they can target the councils most in need.
“To help relieve cost of living pressures, structural rate reform is a necessity,” she said.
“The solutions are obvious and achievable, but the evidence to date suggests the big parties simply don’t care.”

Media enquiries: Wade Stephens 0423 905 581