MIDCOAST Council will be making an application for the annual increase for MidCoast rates to be 2.25 percent for the 2022-23 financial year.

In the recent MidCoast Council meeting on 27 April 2022, the majority of Councillors voted to make an application to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a permanent special variation of 2.25 percent for the upcoming financial year.

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Each year the Tribunal sets the annual increase for Council rates which is normally in the 2.25-2.5 percent range.

For 2022-23, IPART announced that Councils in NSW would be limited to an annual adjustment to their rates of 0.7 percent plus a population growth factor, which gives the MidCoast a 0.9 percent increase.

MidCoast Councillor’s Finance Manager Phil Brennan said that this is significantly below the price increases currently being experienced.

“It will generate a total of $1.951 million in additional rate income each year and over $14 million throughout the next ten years,” Mr Brennan said.

The IPART decision has had an impact on local government across the state, and as a result of the pressure applied by Councils, the State Government has allowed all Councils the opportunity to apply to increase rates for next year back to the level that had been budgeted, to a maximum of 2.5 percent.

Council has also welcomed the news that IPART will be undertaking a broader review of its rate peg methodology.

The motion was moved by Councillor David West and seconded by Councillor Alan Tickle, with the support of Councillors Jeremy Miller, Claire Pontin, Paul Sandilands, Dheera Smith, Peter Howard and Troy Fowler.

Those against the motion included Councillors Kathryn Bell and Katheryn Smith.

By Tara CAMPBELL