The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is seeking feedback on Gunnedah Shire Council’s submission for a Special Rate Variation.

The announcement of a potential rate rise came about in August last year with a suggested 38.8 per cent rate rise to meet the demand of the current operating $3.1 million deficit annually. The rate rise would have been delivered over two years at 24 per cent the first and 12 per cent in the second.

The community was invited to have its say through a phone and online survey or writing to council. There had also been community sessions in Gunnedah and some of the villages to discuss the potential rate rise.

The feedback was used to create new options for councillors to choose between for the application to IPART.

It was decided at an extraordinary November council meeting to apply for a 37.67 per cent cumulative rate rise over two years. This would however be capped at 32.25 per cent for residential, business and farmland, raised.

The remaining balance would come from the mining categories.

IPART chair Carmel Donnelly said the tribunal is now seeking community feedback on applications.

“Community feedback is an important part of the tribunal’s assessment of special variation applications,” Ms Donnelly said.

“We encourage affected ratepayers and community members to fill out the survey on the IPART website or lodge a submission in relation to any of the applications we’ve received.”

IPART sets a rate peg annually for each of the 128 councils in NSW which caps each council’s increase in the income they collect from ordinary rates. For 2025-26, the core rate pegs range from 3.6 per cent to 5.1 per cent across NSW.

Seventy-two of the 128 councils also received an additional allowance to reflect an adjusted population factor of up to 3.8 per cent.

As set out in the Office of Local Government (OLG) assessment criteria, IPART will consider whether councils have:

  • demonstrated the need for the additional income
  • provided evidence that the community is aware of the need for and extent of the proposed rate rise
  • established that the impact on affected ratepayers is reasonable
  • exhibited, approved and adopted relevant planning documents
  • explained and quantified the council’s productivity
  • improvements and cost containment strategies.

IPART may also consider other relevant matters.

All Special Variation applications for 2025-26 are available for review on the IPART website, along with a short survey and information about how to lodge a submission. IPART will accept feedback on Special Variation applications until 11.59pm on Monday March 17, 2025.

IPART will release the final decisions on Special Variation and Minimum Rate increase applications by May/June 2025.

Gunnedah Shire Council is one of six that have applied for a Special Variation. Others include Federation (Corowa), Northern Beaches, North Sydney, Shoalhaven City and Upper Hunter Shire councils.

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