ADDITIONAL SPECIAL RATE VARIATION GRANTED
Dubbo Regional Council’s (DRC) application to implement a rate increase of 2.3% across the local government area has been approved by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW. DRC is one of eighty-six councils that made a successful application to IPART to increase its rate revenue.
Dubbo Regional Council Mayor, Mathew Dickerson, said this decision by IPART will mean Council can table the 2.3% rise at its Budget Council Meeting prior to 30 June 2022.
“I commend IPART for reconsidering its original proposed rate peg increase of 0.7%. Many Councils did not anticipate such a low rate peg, and therefore cuts to service delivery would have been on the agenda. Dubbo Regional Council will now table the 2.3% rate peg at the Extraordinary Budget Meeting that will be held prior to 30 June 2022,” said Mayor Dickerson.
The extra 1.6% equates to approximately $640,000 for the 2022/2023 financial year, and it is proposed this extra revenue will go towards roads maintenance.
“We know through community feedback that roads is an area of high focus for residents, so this money will help ease the burden on a strained financial position,” said Mayor Dickerson.
Council resolved to apply for the Additional Special Variation at the April 2022 Ordinary Council Meeting. Applications were assessed against guidelines provided by the Office of Local Government. The guidelines require councils to show that they had budgeted for higher income than that provided by the rate peg and that they need the additional money to deliver on the projects they have already planned and included in their budgets.
To find out for more about the IPART process, head to their dedicated webpage; For Ratepayers
Last Edited: 21 Jun 2022