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Warrumbungle Shire Council has placed its Draft Operational Plan for 2021/22 on public exhibition and is seeking submissions from the community. “The Draft Operational Plan provides the community with an overview of the projects, programs and activities that Council will deliver in the next financial year as well as including the proposed budget along with proposed fees and charges,” said Warrumbungle Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Ambrose Doolan. “To fund planned capital works, as well as ongoing services and activities Council has proposed a number of increases in fees and charges in 2021/22.” “While the majority of increases are in line with the consumer price index (CPI), a number of larger increases have also been proposed for the coming financial year”. Cr Doolan explained that “for the 2021/22 financial year, Council has proposed that water access charges and water usage charges increase by 15%, sewerage charges increase by 5% while waste charges are set to increase by 2% across the Shire.” “Council acknowledges that these are significant increases compared to last year but are proposed as a result of:
• low water consumption; • the ongoing impacts of emergency works required during the drought; • maintenance of, and increase in, service levels across the Shire; and • costs increasing more than revenue.”
“Council is required to achieve ongoing full cost recovery for our water supply and sewerage services. Full cost recovery involves raising sufficient revenue to cover maintenance and administration costs as well as the cost of water supply infrastructure. This requirement has resulted in the fees and charges that are proposed,” said Cr Doolan. In terms of what an increase in these fees and charges will cost: • A 15% rise in the water access charge would result in an increase from $569.00 per annum to $654 per annum, that is an increase of $85 per annum or around $1.64 per week. • For Mendooran, the 15% rise would apply to the base water access charge only, not the additional charge, meaning that the total water access charge for Mendooran would increase from $864.00 per annum to $949.00 per annum. • A 15% rise in the water consumption charge would result in an increase from $2.91 per kilolitre to $3.35 per kilolitre. Based on an average consumption of 160kL per annum, this would mean that annual water consumption charges would increase from $465.60 per annum to $536.00 per annum, which is an increase of $70.40 per annum or around $1.35 per week. • A 5% rise in sewerage charges for residential properties would result in an increase from $684.00 per annum to $718.00 per annum for a connected residential property and from $438.00 to $460.00 for a non-connected residential property. This is an increase of $34.00 per annum or around $0.65 per week for a connected residential property, and $22.00 per annum or around $0.42 per week for a non-connected residential property. • A 2% rise in waste charges for domestic waste would result in an increase from $372.00 per annum to $379.00 which is an increase of $7.00 per annum or around $0.32 per week. “Don’t miss the opportunity to let us know your thoughts on the draft plan. Comments on the draft plan and associated documents need to be made by 4.30pm Monday, 17 May 2021,” concluded Cr Doolan. Written submissions on Council’s Draft Operational Plan for 2021/22 are invited and can be submitted online under the ‘Have Your Say’ tab on Council’s website, or in hard copy addressed to the General Manager, PO Box 191, Coonabarabran, NSW, 2357. For more information contact Personal Assistant to Director Corporate and Community Services on (02) 6849 2000.
Last Updated: 23 Dec 2022