An information evening hosted by Federation Ratepayers Inc was well attended last Tuesday as crunch time looms for residents to have their say on Federation Council’s application for a special rate variation (SRV) to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
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The information session, held at the Corowa Golf Club, was aimed at informing residents on how to voice their concerns to IPART on the proposed cumulative rate rise of 74.59 per cent over the next four years.
Federation Ratepayers chair David Bott said the meeting showed how people can be part of the process so that a thoroughly informed decision is made by the tribunal.
“The more informed they (IPART) are of the communities’ concerns, the better the outcomes will be for everyone,” he said.
“We estimate that there was 190 people in the room, and it highlights what we’ve been saying for some time…that council hasn’t engaged correctly with the community.
“A process like this should have been open and transparent right from the outset. If you’ve got something that is bad news, like a rate hike, you get on the front foot, lay all your cards on the table and then people can assess it and get in behind your decision.
A capacity-filled room at Federation Ratepayers Inc information evening last Tuesday at the Corowa Golf Club.
“People haven’t felt as though they’ve had the opportunity to participate in the discussion correctly which is evident not only by the turn up we had at Coreen last year, and now Corowa, but by the fact that our group simply wouldn’t exist if council had engaged correctly.”
The capacity-filled room last Tuesday evening was also attended by councillors David Fahey OAM, Aaron Nicholls and Sally Hughes, as well as Council’s General Manager Adrian Butler and other senior management staff
“We were pleased to see both council staff and councillors at the meeting,” Mr Bott said.
With public submissions open until March 3, IPART will determine council’s application on criteria such as the demonstrated need for higher increases to charges; community awareness of their plans; a reasonable impact on ratepayers; a process to exhibit relevant council documents to the public; and a history of well-documented council productivity improvements and cost containment strategies.
Federation Council Mayor Pat Bourke said whilst he acknowledges the groups concerns, council has acted on the feedback received from across the council area, over many years.
“Our community for years has expressed their desire for our region to grow and prosper, and it needs to,” he said.
“Irrespective of any growth, council’s core services such as roads and other infrastructure need this additional ongoing funding to get on top of the backlog caused by years of underfunding, including from 40 plus years of rate pegging where the increases never kept up with the rising costs. We need to bring maintenance and renewal levels up, as the plans and data shows, and of course our own observations show us this also. This all comes at a cost.”
Mayor Bourke said “council’s general rates collected remain comparatively low compared to many other similar Local Government areas throughout the state, and do not reflect the 2300km of roads and other assets we have to manage.”
“The time to act is now, and I know no one wants to pay more in any situation in life, but for council to move forward and address the many issues the community has been raising for years, this in my opinion and as supported by Council, is the best road to follow.”
Mayor Bourke said he noted that many of the objections received throughout council’s ongoing engagement process were rural ratepayers. “I think that speaks volumes for the dissatisfaction within the rural community at present with the condition of roads,” he said.
“I ask the community to continue to work with us, remain engaged and stay on the journey with us, so we can all be a part of the solution towards improving our roads and other assets. These are never easy conversations to be having and they are tough decisions. I think this council continues to prove that it is strategic and works for the longer term, and it is not a council that shies away from the harder issues, and that is why we will continue to grow and strengthen our great communities throughout the Federation Local Government area.”
The Special Rate Variation proposed for Federation Council is for four years from 2023/24 to 2026/27 at 19 per cent, 17 per cent, 14 per cent and 10 per cent, inclusive of any maximum rate peg amount set by IPART each year.
IPART has received applications for a special variation to increase income above the rate peg starting in 2023/24 from 13 NSW councils. A further four councils have been granted an extension to the application deadline until March 3, 2023.
Federation Council’s application was removed from IPART’s website temporarily on Friday following an alleged privacy breach in relation to information contained within the application. Council confirmed it made contact with IPART as part of their ongoing investigation into the matter.
IPART will consider council’s application, and provide a decision in May
All NSW councils’ applications are available for review at: https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Industries/Local-Government/Reviews/Special-Variations-Minimum-Rates/Special-Variations-Minimum-Rates-2023-24
