| Additional rate variation |
MidCoast Council will be making an application for the annual increase for MidCoast rates to be 2.25% for the 2022-23 financial year.
Each year the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) sets the annual increase for Council rates and this is normally in the 2.25-2.5% range.
For 2022-23, IPART announced that Councils in NSW would be limited to an annual adjustment to their rates of 0.7% plus a population growth factor which gives the MidCoast a 0.9% increase. This is significantly below the price increases currently being experienced and would remove $1.2 million from the 2022-23 budget and over $14m over the next 10 years.
The IPART decision has had an impact on local government across the State, and as a result of the pressure applied by Councils, the State Government has allowed all Councils the opportunity to apply to increase rates for next year back to the level that had been budgeted, to a maximum of 2.5%.
Council has also welcomed the news that IPART will be undertaking a broader review of its rate peg methodology.
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Development activity for January-March period
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A summary of development assessment and building certification activities for the January- March 2022 period showed 306 development applications had been determined, with the value of work approved $74.1 million. Of these 60 were fast track development applications which were determined in an average of 11 days.
During this period the call centre received 5,591 building and development related telephone calls, resulting in 2,215 customer requests. |
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Tuncurry Water Playground
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Funding has been allocated to start work on the construction of the Tuncurry Water Playground. Councillors approved a funding allocation of up to $670,000 from developer contributions to the $2 million project and for work to start on the project.
This is the first open space water playground of this size undertaken in the MidCoast and key features include the construction of an all-inclusive and disabled accessible water plash pad incorporating a water slide, water tower and active water play equipment designed with no standing water to exclude the need for lifeguards. |
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Sponsorship for NSW Rowing Championships
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A one-off sponsorship payment of $10,870 has been given to the Manning River Rowing Club to help offset costs associated with hosting the 2022 NSW Masters Rowing Championships. The late shift of the event from Grafton to Taree meant the Manning River Rowing Club hadn’t budgeted for the cost of hosting the event, however recognised the benefit of bringing more than 600 rowers, and supporters, to the MidCoast.
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Draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan
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The draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan will be placed on public exhibition from 2 May.
Community consultation between July 2021 and March 2022 helped us to understand the barriers faced by people living with a disability in the MidCoast and insight into the role Council can play in removing them. This feedback informed the development of the draft plan.
The draft plan focuses on four key areas, as set by the NSW Government. They are attitudes and behaviours, liveable communities, meaningful employment and systems and processes.
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Lease of former Council office to Taree Universities Campus
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Council and the Taree Universities Campus have entered an agreement to lease the former Pulteney Street office. The long-term lease has been made possible by a grant from the Federal Government under the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant Program.
The funding of $5.5 million results in $500,000 worth of work to the building to make it suitable for use by the Taree Universities Campus and a 25-year lease.
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New Code of Meeting Practice for public exhibition
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A revised Code of Meeting Practice will be placed on public exhibition. Council must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice within the first year of a new Council.
The code has several significant changes including new provisions to allow councillors to attend meetings by audio-visual link and to hold meetings by audio-visual link in the event of natural disasters or public health emergencies. It also includes the recording of the open and public forums held before each council meeting. The recording will be available on our website in the days following the meeting.
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| Feasibility of providing recycled water to Taree Rec Grounds |
The use of recycled water for irrigating Taree Recreation Ground to protect the sporting fields from the impacts of dry weather will be fully considered during an upcoming review of the Integrated Water Cycle Management strategy.
The meeting looked at several options for providing recycled water to the Rec Grounds, which host a range of sporting fields, while managing health and environmental risks.
Recycled water used on sporting fields needs to meet Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling and would cost at least $2.285 million and carry an annual operating cost of $140,000.
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| Gloucester water reservoirs and mains project |
Following the termination of the contract for the $21 million Gloucester water reservoir and mains project, it has been resolved that Council will take on all the works external to the reservoir site, while an alternative contractor will complete the reservoir work.
This decision was made given the impact on cost and risk involved with completing the project.
It is anticipated the project will require an additional $4 million of funding to allow for the increase in the cost of materials etc over the past 18 months (since the awarding of the original contract).
The project will improve the Gloucester water supply infrastructure and resolve issues such as inadequate pressure in the industrial area and increase water storage. It is now expected construction will be completed in late 2023.
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| Roads and bridges improvements underway |
Wet weather has hampered several major roads projects including Farquhar Street Wingham and Muldoon Street Taree.Work on Cowper Street Taree is expected to continue until August, with wet weather and unsuitable subgrade and stormwater drainage causing delays.
In the rural rehabilitation program work has been completed on Gloucester Tops Road, with delays on work on Waitui Road and Tinonee Road due to the wet weather.
The regional rehabilitation program sees work underway at
- Avalon Road, Dyers Crossing
- Bucketts Way, Allworth
- Bucketts Way, Stony Creek
- Lakes Way, Palm Lakes
- Lakes Way, Boolambayte
- Lakes Way, Wattley Hill
- Bucketts Way, Mill Creek
- Wingham Road/Youngs Road
- Lakes Way/Blackhead Road roundabout
Bridge renewals are underway at Cox Bridge Caparra, Mount Coxcombe 2 and 4, with culvert replacement happening at Curricabark Road Gloucester and Lilli Pilli Booral. |