Council have published a pamphlet ‘Funding Our Future’ which outlines four (4) options;

Option 1               Reduce Services (Cumulative 3 year rate increase 10.7%)

Option 2               Maintain Services (Cumulative 3 year rate increase 31.1%)

Option 3               Improve Services (cumulative 3 year rate increase 39.6%)

Option 4               Increase Services (cumulative 3 year rate increase 46%)

NRA members all have different financial positions and it is not our position to recommend one option over another and we invite you to log onto the council ‘Have Your Say Page’ and complete the survey by clicking the highlight.

Before you have you say you might like to read some of the attached.

Questioning this Consultation Process – a great comment from our previous Pittwater Ward councillor Michael Gencher

Great response from one of our current Pittwater Ward councillor Miranda Korzy to the question we asked What does Pittwater get out of each of these options – Read here

A great incisive piece questioning the value of our forced amalgamation and calling out the rhetoric given by our amalgamated Northern Beaches Council – Click here to read

Briefing by Council on 16th December 2024

As member of Pittwater Community Alliance we had a briefing from council re the Proposed Rate Rise and while the briefing and discussions did not give us much more than can be gleaned from the overviews on the council web site we do make the following comments;

  • In March 2023 a NSW Government Standing Committee was formed to review Ability of Local Governments to Fund Infrastructure and Services and in November 2024 the report of this standing committee was presented to the government with 17 recommendations. Review Here (app 11th page)
  • It would appear premature to consider a Special Rate Variation until these recommendations had been considered as the NSW rating system is likely to change as a result
  • Rates income has already increased 11.1% in the last 4 years. To compare this increase with the increased cost of infrastructure when infrastructure is not the only cost to council is not justified (Report to council meeting 12 November 2024).
  • A Special Rate Variation is permanently imbedded into future rates which becomes the new base line.
  • A special Council meeting has been called for 28 January to consider additional information requested at the Council’s meeting of 10 December, with that information being made available to councillors by 21 January. We believe that this information and the information on likely cuts to services should be in the hands of the community before the closing date for submissions on the four Options. We would therefore suggest that the closing date at a minimum if not deferred as previously suggested be extended to 21 January 2025 and the additional information provided as soon as possible before that date.
  • The Options proposed do not provide the level of detail required for the community to make an informed decision on exactly what would be the impact of each Option. There is also an insufficient level of detail provided on where additional revenue raised from Options 2,3 or 4 would be spent. The Draft Addendum to Delivery Program 2024-2028 Including Operational Plan and Budget 2024/25 Special variation update: Funding our Future does not provide a sufficient level of detail.