Why IPART Rejected North Sydney Council's Rate Rise скачать в хорошем качестве

Why IPART Rejected North Sydney Council's Rate Rise

Read the full story here: https://northsydneysun.com.au/communi... Our original video on the rate rise:    • North Sydney Councils' 87% Rate Hike Expla...   Mayor Zoë Baker called the outcome “incredibly disappointing,” criticising IPART for rejecting both applications outright without even partial approval—particularly the minimum rate proposal. She argued that the applications were intended to repair historical reliance on declining revenue and fund underinvestment in infrastructure renewal. However, IPART and others have challenged this premise. Forecast population growth—expected to add around 10% to the ratepayer base in coming years—and the standard 4% PEG rate increase already suggest that overall revenue will rise. Moreover, critics point to Council decisions that have constrained revenue, including policies that limit parking fee collection and repeated rejections of development applications that would have attracted contributions for community infrastructure. Baker further warned that without adequate funding, the burden would shift unfairly to future generations. Yet as critics have noted, the main capital project—the pool—was originally built in 1936 and is now being rebuilt in 2025. It is reasonable to expect the new facility to last 50 years or more. Funding such an asset over just two years, rather than spreading the cost across future beneficiaries, may itself represent a form of intergenerational inequity. Baker also argued that the IPART system is flawed if even a high-profile council like North Sydney—subject to media and public scrutiny—cannot succeed in an SRV application. However, five of the six councils that applied for increases this round were successful, including Federation Council in Corowa, one of the state’s poorest regions, which secured a 70% increase despite 80% community opposition. Those councils, IPART said, met the required benchmarks. Finally, Baker said Council would now conduct a full review of all services, programs, and potential cost-saving measures. But critics argue this process should have started six to nine months ago as part of the SRV application. Conducting it only now—after rejection—raises questions about the foresight and planning involved. As some noted during the February 10 meeting and in later submissions, Council failed to seriously explore alternatives before opting for a substantial rate increase. Now, it appears to be doing what its critics urged all along. The irony, critics say, is that Council now proposes a long-overdue review to avoid ad hoc decision making—yet the very failure to conduct that review in time may be the clearest example of ad hoc decision making to date. Get the latest news at www.northsydneysun.com.au/ Follow the Sun on Instagram: www.instagram.com/north.sydney.sun/