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The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved Tweed Shire Council’s application for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) of 2.35% in 2023/24.
Combined with the 4.0% pegged rate rise already approved, this would allow general rates to be increased to 6.35% for the next financial year, pending Councillor approval of the decision.
Council was one of 17 councils across NSW that applied for an SRV ahead of the next financial year, with the Tweed’s requested rate rise significantly lower than the rest.
And in 2022, Tweed was one of the few councils in NSW that did not apply for an SRV, with 86 councils granted the additional rate rise by IPART.
As part of this process, IPART is required to assess special variation applications against criteria set by the Office of Local Government. These criteria require councils to demonstrate the need for the additional revenue, provide evidence that the community is aware of the need for and extent of a rate rise, exhibit relevant planning documents, explain council’s productivity and cost containment actions and plans, and establish that the impact on affected ratepayers is reasonable.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said Councillors would carefully consider the implications of the IPART determination and assess whether to proceed with the SRV at the upcoming Council meeting on Thursday 22 June.
“We acknowledge these are challenging times for many members of our community and our decision to apply for a SRV was not taken lightly,” Cr Cherry said.
“But we cannot stress enough the importance of bridging the expanding gap between income and expenses, with the rising cost of services affecting Council just as it does the wider community.”
Council is seeking to raise an additional $1.6 million through the SRV to cover the costs of additional cyber security, an essential IT upgrade, additional planning staff, insurances and to cover the cost of the removal of the Environmental Enforcement Levy.
Cr Cherry said IPART’s approval followed an extensive engagement campaign with local residents, explaining Council’s need for additional funding and the stark options facing Council – including a reduction in services – without this additional funding.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback on our application to IPART,” Cr Cherry said.
“We undertook a comprehensive campaign organising community conversations, distributing informational materials and leveraging digital platforms to ensure the wider community could have their say.
“Overall, the Proposed SRV Your Say Tweed page attracted more than 2,600 visits, resulting in 452 online survey responses in addition to the many letters and emails we received.”
During its meeting next week, Council will review the survey responses, written responses and feedback taken through face-to-face consultations.
Ratepayers are encouraged to assess the impact of the SRV on their respective properties by using the General Rate calculator available on Council’s website.
“We urge those significantly affected by the rate increase to reach out to our team at the earliest opportunity to discuss possible hardship assistance,” Cr Cherry said.
Find out more about how your rates are calculated at tweed.nsw.gov.au/rates-explained.
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