Overview - Parramatta City Council - NSW Government

How we Spend
Special Rates
Determining rates
Councils collect money from their ratepayers to fund the broad
range of services they deliver to the community. Each year
councils approach the State Government to request modest
adjustments to their rates to accommodate rising costs across the
board. Major costs for 2005/06 included the NSW Fire Brigade
Levy ($1,509,798), Parking Space Levy ($969,175), streetlighting
charges ($1,879,062) and waste tipping fees ($3,818,991).
For 2005/06 Parramatta City Council was granted a 3.5 per cent
rate increase in line with the general rate rise determined by the
Minister for Local Government. For the 2006/07 financial year
Council made an application to the Minister for a special variation
to rates, and was granted an 8.24 per cent rate rise, 4.64 per cent
higher than the general rate increase of 3.6 per cent. Garbage
collection and disposal charges went up by seven per cent due to
increases in contractual/operating costs of waste disposal. Despite
these increases Parramatta still remains the third lowest-rating
Council in its relative group and in Western Sydney.
Cutting our costs
Parramatta City Council takes the investment of its ratepayers’
money seriously and is determined to demonstrate the value it
provides in return. Following on from the efficiency savings in
recent years, Council is undertaking new initiatives in the form of
Best Value Reviews of its services and development of an asset
management strategy for asset maintenance, renewal and
replacement.
Breaking down our rates
When rate notices are sent out, rate charges are itemised by the
rates payable on land, waste charges for the supply of garbage
and recycling services, as well as Special Rates.
SPECIAL RATES EXPENDITURE 2005/06
Income raised from the levy of a Special Rate must be expended specifically for that purpose and during 2005/06 our Special Rates
contributed to a range of projects throughout the Local Government Area, with 55 per cent going to suburban infrastructure and 29
per cent to open space and recreation projects such as amenities blocks and cycleways.
For a detailed account of how Council expended its Special Rates, refer to page 197-198
Suburban Infrastructure
Enhancement Special Rate
All rateable properties outside the
Central Business District help fund
urban infrastructure such as drains,
kerb and guttering, improvements
to town centres and local
waterways.
Total Expenditure: $2,591,000
Example of expenditure:
Briens Road Culvert
A total of $1.63 million (partly
funded from special rates) was
spent in 2005 on construction of
Briens Road culverts to reduce
flooding impacts during a 100 year
average recurrence interval (ARI)
event at Finlaysons Creek,
Wentworthville.
55%
Open Space Acquisition and
Embellishment Special Rate
All rateable properties in the
Parramatta Local Government
Area help fund the acquisition of
open space and embellishment of
parks and public domain.
Total Expenditure: $1,344,000
Example of expenditure:
Playground, Unnamed Reserve,
Rippon Avenue Rydalmere
During 2005/06, $243,000 of
Special Rates money was spent on
playground replacements out of a
total $520,000 playground
expenditure.
9% 7%
29%
CBD Infrastructure
Enhancement Special Rate
Land categorised as Business CBD
and Business Centre of Activity
#2 help support the improvement
of the Infrastructure in the CBD.
Total Expenditure: $338,000
During 2005/06, Special Rates
funded the planning and design
phase of the re-opening of a key
section of the Church Street Mall
to one way traffic, as well as
implementing new Parramatta
streetscape initiatives.
Economic Development
Special Rate
All rateable properties within the
Parramatta Primary Centre help
support the achievement of
Regional Economic Plan targets for
employment in the Parramatta
Primary Centre.
Total Expenditure: $413,000
Example of expenditure:
Parramatta Room, the
Attorney-General’s Office
During 2005/06 we developed the
Parramatta Room in the Sydneybased
Attorney-General’s Office to
support the relocation of an
estimated1500 jobs from the
Sydney CBD to Parramatta.
How We Spend Your Special Rates
33
Parramatta City Council 2005/06 Annual Report