Supporting documents for SRV subject of Extraordinary Council Meeting

Published on 25 January 2024

Council will convene for an Extraordinary Council Meeting next Tuesday 30 January to consider adopting the supporting documents for the Special Rate Variation (SRV) application.

In November 2023, Council resolved to proceed with an SRV application to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

That application must be submitted by 5 February 2024 and must include several documents, including the adopted Long Term Financial Plan and the Strategic Asset Management Plan, as well as the Hardship Relief to Ratepayers, Procedure and Recovery of Unpaid Rates, Charges and Other Debts Procedure, which were all recently exhibited.

Most respondents to the above exhibited documents used template responses to advise that they do not support Council making an application for a SRV, rather than providing feedback specifically on the documents being exhibited, although a small number of detailed submissions were received from individuals and community groups.

The purpose of Kempsey Shire Council’s application for a SRV is to achieve increased financial sustainability while offsetting the ongoing impacts of inflationary pressures, labour award increases, emerging costs and the impact of cost shifting.

Council has made a public commitment to continue to seek further cost savings and productivity improvements.

Should IPART approve the SRV application any potential rate rises will be open for further community feedback and will need to be approved by Council before any increases are implemented.

For more information on the information being presented to Council at next week's meeting: read the business papers here.