Council Welcomes Submissions for Special Rate Variation

13 November 2024

Following last week’s difficult but necessary decision to proceed with a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to address its financial sustainability and maintain essential community infrastructure and service levels, Gunnedah Shire Council is now welcoming written submissions from the local community. These can be provided to Council until Thursday, 19 December 2024.

Council’s original SRV proposal was for a permanent cumulative 38.88% increase over two years with a 24% increase in year one and 12% increase in year two. The community feedback indicated that the year one increase was too high.

Council considered a range of scenarios in response to the community feedback and has determined to proceed with a permanent Special Rate Variation over two years that is 37.67% cumulative but caps the increase on Residential, Business and Farmland rate categories at 15% per year (32.25% cumulative).

The balance of the revised SRV of 37.67% cumulative is to be sourced from the Mining rating category.

This week Council formally notified IPART that it intends to submit a Special Rate Variation application for the 2025-2026 financial year.

Council's Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R) documentation will be updated to meet the SRV application requirements, and the amended IP&R documents will be presented to a future Council meeting for the purpose of being endorsed by Council for public exhibition.

Council will convene an Extraordinary Council meeting in January 2025 for the purpose of receiving any submissions on the revised IP&R documentation and to endorse the SRV application prior to the submission to IPART by February 3, 2025.

Council also resolved to strive to achieve $930,000 through efficiency gains and operational savings over the 3-year period 2025 to 2028 with a report to council by May 30th annually during this period.

Members of the community can measure how they will be directly affected by the Special Rate Variation by accessing the rates calculator now available on the dedicated SRV page on Council’s website www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.

General enquiries on the Special Rate Variation can be made to Council’s customer service team on 6740 2100 or [email protected]

Written public submissions will be accepted until December 19, 2024, and can be made via post: The General Manager, Gunnedah Shire Council, PO Box 63, Gunnedah NSW 2380

Or

Email: [email protected] and webform https://www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/index.php/council/keep-in-touch/contact-us .