Special Rate Variation
At its November Council Meeting, Council resolved to make application to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for the 2008/09 special rate variation of the former Gundagai Shire Council to be made permanent.
The former Gundagai Shire Council was granted a special rate variation of 12.89% for a period of ten years from 1 July 2008. The current financial year is the final year for the application of the special variation. Should the proposed application to make the special rate variation permanent be unsuccessful, an amount of $263,530 will need to be deducted from Council’s general income.
The former Gundagai Shire Council had been relying on the continuation of the special variation as a permanent adjustment to its rates income and this was reflected in the ten year planning period of its long term financial plan.
Council must continue to ensure that it is financially sustainable into the future and the community expects Council to provide them with services that meets their needs. If Council was required to deduct $263,530 from its annual income, there will be a severe impact on the service levels being able to be provided to the community.
Should Council be successful in its application to IPART, it is important to note that ratepayers will not be paying any more for their rates in 2018/19 other than the rate peg amount, which will be released later this year by IPART. However, it will mean that Council can continue to deliver services, maintain existing infrastructure and expand infrastructure to meet community needs.
Council is seeking Ministerial approval to submit the application and once approval is granted, Council will further consult with the community as part of the application process.
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Special Rate Variation – Impact to Rating Categories