FAQs
How will the survey data be used?
Community feedback will help us shape alternative scenarios by varying expenditure and revenue levels (including rates, fees and charges) based on preferences indicated through the survey.
Getting the right financial settings for the next 10 years is a process. The scenarios will be refined as we receive feedback and consider the options for achieving long-term financial sustainability.
The next iteration of scenarios and draft budgets will go back out for more consultation to check that we have interpreted your feedback correctly.
Can the community choose what areas they prefer Council to reduce spending in?
Yes. Community feedback will help Council understand which services and areas of spending the community considers most important, and where there may be opportunities to reduce, delay or change how services are delivered.
This survey is the first step. We are seeking high-level feedback to help shape the indicative financial settings for the future councils. These settings will help establish how much revenue may be available for services, infrastructure and other priorities.
Not all Council spending is discretionary. Some functions are required by legislation or other obligations – for example, Council must prepare and publish an Annual Report as part of the NSW Integrated Planning and Reporting obligations.
Council is also expected to operate as efficiently as possible across all areas.
Further consultation will look at specific services and spending priorities. This means the community will have further opportunities to provide input as the financial settings and service priorities are refined.
Why are the proposed rate increases in the South larger than the North?
The South has a significantly smaller rate base than the North, so the cost of services per ratepayer is higher (based on current services and service levels).
How accurate is the Long-term Financial Plan?
Long Term Financial Plans (LTFP) are indicative and developed based on both known and estimated assumptions. When developing an LTFP, the earlier years cost and revenue assumptions can be made with a higher level of certainty than in the outer years.
For example, it is known that the Award increase for the next 2 years will be 4%. We don’t know what it will be after that, so we have made an assumption based on previous trends and also benchmarketing.
In the current ‘two council’ modelling, we have used an assumption of a 3% award increase. This will be reviewed each year and updated when the actual award increase for the period is known. Key assumptions and indices are listed in the LTFP document (pages 7-11).