The Woollahra local government area is home to 13 foreign consulates – extensions of the embassies located in Canberra – of which four habitually do not pay rates:Russia,Poland,Turkey and Serbia.
The Russian consulate in Sydney.Rhett Wyman
It is not compulsory for consulates to pay,as the Vienna Convention prevents Australia imposing taxes on the official premises of other countries. Rather,the council collects 60 per cent of service fees through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,and asks the consulates to voluntarily pay the other 40 per cent.
Woollahra Council confirmed the four countries that do not pay the contribution. Egypt has been inconsistent with payments and Vietnam missed the previous financial year,it said. The amount “owed” by Russia in 2021-22 was $8563.78,according to a council document seen by theHerald.
The other consulates in Woollahra all paid the contribution in 2021-22:Switzerland,Japan,Lebanon,Malaysia,the United States,Korea and Indonesia.
Woollahra Greens councillor Nicola Grieve said Russia’s failure to pay was only an issue because Putin invaded Ukraine.
“It would be nice to see the Russian consulate make that gesture,but I won’t be holding my breath.”
Susan Wynne,Woollahra mayor
“I think it’s pretty disgusting that they can fund a war,invade a sovereign country,but they can’t afford to pay for rubbish collection,” she said. “Why are Woollahra residents subsiding this war?”
In a statement,the press attache of the Russian Consulate-General said DFAT had long discussed the issue of council rates with diplomatic corps.
“Thus,this does not fall within the competence of the Consulate-General,” they said. “There is no connection between the special military operation[in Ukraine] and the payments rates[sic].”
A DFAT spokesperson said Australia had an obligation not to impose rates,dues and taxes on official premises of other countries’ premises underthe Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
The Turkish consulate is also on Woollahra Council’s naughty list for failing to make the voluntary payment.Rhett Wyman
“Missions have obligations to comply with local laws and regulations[and] DFAT’s Chief of Protocol regularly reminds Heads of Missions of this obligation,” they said.
Woollahra mayor Susan Wynne said the council’s rates were modest and ought to be paid. “It would be nice to see the Russian consulate make that gesture,but I won’t be holding my breath.”
Earlier this year,Woollahra Council proposed to rename the street where the Russian consulate is situated from Fullerton Street to Ukraine Street,but it relented after overwhelming opposition from residents of the street. Instead,it added signs saying “We stand with Ukraine” to the Fullerton Street signposts.
The two councillors who proposed renaming the street – Luise Elsing and Matthew Robertson – have since been added to Russia’s blacklist of Australians banned from entering the country.
Other localities have also grappled with ways to show solidarity with Ukraine amid Putin’s war;in London there were calls to rename the street of the Russian embassy to Zelensky Avenue in honour of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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