MidCoast Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Draft Operational Plan, Budget and Fees and Charges for 2016-2017 which has been placed on public exhibition following its approval at the Council meeting on 25 May.

If you’re wondering what the Operational Plan is, it’s the documentation that guides the day-to-day operations of Council, including a detailed outline of what Council plans to achieve over the next 12 months.

It includes specific criteria against which Council’s performance is measured.

This draft suite of documents physically combines the 2016-2017 plans of the previous Gloucester Shire, Greater Taree City and Great Lakes Councils and is based on the direction of the delivery programs and long term financial plans of each of the former councils.

“The combined documents give some certainty to our community about what we will deliver over the next year and an opportunity to comment on the direction we are proposing to take,” said Council’s Interim General Manager, Mr Glenn Handford.

“We are committed to provision of the services and service levels of the former three councils for 2016-2017.”

“During the year ahead, we will work across Council to develop a 2017-2018 Operational Plan so that there is a single plan, budget and fees and charges across MidCoast Council for its second year of operation,” said Mr Handford.

In addressing the Government’s rate path freeze policy, Council Administrator Mr John Turner said “the NSW Government proclamation requires Council to apply the 2015-2016 rating structure, rating categories and sub-categories that applied in each former area for 2016-2017.

“For the former Greater Taree City and Great Lakes Council this will be based on a rate peg of 1.8% and for the former Gloucester Shire Council this will include the continuation of a previously determined special rate variation.”