Council invites the community to share feedback through:

• Phone: 02 6924 8100
• Email: jsc@junee.nsw.gov.au.
• Post: PO Box 93, Junee NSW 2663.
• Complete survey click here
• Attach a submission below.

The rate peg is the maximum percentage amount a council can increase its income from rates. Councils requiring additional revenue can apply to IPART (explained below) to be allowed to levy increases above the rate peg.

The SRV is not applied to service charges such as Sewer, Waste and Stormwater Drainage listed on the rate notice. It is only applied to those items relating to land rate assessment amounts.

If approved, the SRV will only increase the land rate assessment amount by 15% more than you would otherwise pay in 2023/24 and a further 10% in 2024/25.

The background paper provides examples of the SRV average annual change in land rate assessment amounts for each rating category.

Council can only increase total rates by the percentage increase allowed by IPART. Land valuations are separate from the SRV. The valuation of your property only affects your share of the total rates levied by Council. So, if your land value increases by more than the average increase in your rating category (farmland, residential or business), the amount of rates paid by you will increase, if your land value increases by less than the average the amount of rates paid by you will be less.

Council has a financial hardship policy that is available for ratepayers who will suffer genuine financial hardship where they incur a rate increase resulting from the implementation of a special rates variation (SRV). To be eligible, the ratepayer must own the property and occupy it as their principal place of residence. For full details, please refer to the Rates and Charges Hardship Policy attached in the document library within the SRV section of the Council’s website, or phone the council on 02 6924 8100 to obtain a copy.

To make Council financially viable. The cost of services and compliance requirements have increased. It is also anticipated Council will receive less capital grants into future. Therefore, Council requires more rate revenue to maintain services and a reasonable level of capital works.  

If the proposed rate increases do not eventuate, a reduction in services and the capital works program would need to occur. For council to be financially sustainable in the long term it must achieve at least a break-even result in its general fund.  If Council does not get to this position, it will not be able to undertake the timely renewal of essential infrastructure like roads, sporting fields, playgrounds and community facilities such as the Recreation & Aquatic Centre, the Athenium and the Library.    

Council has recently undertaken improvement strategies that provide savings including: 

• Discontinuing the Family Day Care service. 
• Installation of LED street lighting saving $30,000 in electricity costs.  

• Sold land for unpaid rates. 
• Realised FBT Savings of $40,000 per annum by reducing council issued cars. 
• Installed automated irrigation systems that have realised labour efficiency gains.  
• Extending the life of heavy plant. 
• Reducing debt by $2 million over two years resulting in savings of $80,000 per year. 

• Focusing on condition-based asset maintenance – based on need not program. 

Council will continue to investigate and realise all cost saving opportunities; however, cost savings alone will not be sufficient to make Council financially viable. 

Staff are working efficiently and continue reviewing work practices to optimise work practices.  It is important to note compliance requirements have become more onerous requiring additional staffing costs. 

Funding from other levels of government is not known into the future. In the past Junee has been successful in attracting capital funding, however funding is expected to fall as grants are currently directed towards current disaster areas such as northeastern NSW. 

The operating budget for 2023 is $17 million. This includes $3.6 million of depreciation which is used to fund capital works. 

IPART are the independent pricing regulator for water, energy, public transport and Local Government. They set the allowable rate cap and approve any Special Rate variations. IPART will either approve or nor approve this SRV. 

Junee Shire Council’s rates are relatively competitive when compared to other similar councils as outlined in the SRV background paper. Junee is a high service level council and does not have significant cash reserves as some of its neighbours do.  

For example, Junee runs a heated pool and indoor sports centre and maintains lawns and gardens and maintains roads at a high level.