Special Rate Variation Community Engagement Report - Shoalhaven City Council

Council’s community engagement period has been inconvenient for this CCB.
Around the city, we would not be alone in this.
Council’s online poll only suggests three nearly equally expensive alternatives, as if
these were the only ones available.
These are significant proposed increases, e.g. +30% by 2019 in Option 1.
Shoalhaven City has 7.4% unemployment, the second worst in NSW, and as a
coastal destination, a large number of retirees on pensions and fixed incomes.
There is a big issue of affordability, about which in our view, Council seems
insufficiently cognizant. It's really about affordability – we believe our
ratepayers can't afford such large residential rates increases.
Council needs to clearly define what additional rates will be spent on
determined by the state
government. Council has been
consistently engaging with
CCBs about a potential rate rise
for the last few years.
Council will continue to clearly
define what the rates will be
spent on. As outlined within
the community engagement
process Council’s key priority is
assets maintenance and
renewal.
Council resolved as part of the
rates proposal to undertake a
further report on the ability to
utilise a Citizens Jury. This will
be reported to Council shortly
The next round of NSW Valuer General valuations will significantly increase
rateable land values ‐ which would automatically deliver a greater rates take for
Council, hopefully without the need for additional double digit annual increases
of such magnitude!
We think the Vincentia RRA resolution on 15 Dec 2016, to ask Council for a oneyear
deferral to allow further analysis, has considerable merit, viz:
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