Ms Svampa has been collecting signatures outside the Woolworths Supermarket and handed them to the State Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, on Friday, June 27.

Mr Constance will be taking them to the Minster for Local Government.

Ms Svampa said, “Council rates have doubled since I moved here in 2001.

“What really made me furious was to hear a local Merimbula councillor state ‘There are too many old people and pensioners living in Merimbula.’

“Another Merimbula councillor said ‘If you can’t afford the rate increase, then move somewhere else’.

“This really upset me as they have obviously lost sight of the fact that Merimbula has attracted many residents to the area as retirees,” Ms Svampa said.

She said her real concerns were for the young people trying to buy their first home and not only do they have to budget for ever increasing fuel and food prices, they also have to cop it from their local council.

Other petitions were collected by concerned residents at the Merimbula RSL Club, the Merimbula-Imlay Bowling Club and in Market Street.

Ms Svampa hopes the Minister does take note of the hundreds of residents who have shown their concerns at the ever increasing rate bills by signing the petitions.