The Lismore City Council will tomorrow night consider its annual operational plan, which includes rate increases of $140 for urban ratepayers.
The annual operational plan is part of a four year delivery program, which complements the Imagine Lismore 10 Year Plan.
According to a report to tomorrow night’s extraordinary council meeting, the total budget for the 2015/16 year is $133,430,400.
For the average urban residential property, general rates, waste, water and wastewater charges are expected to increase by $140 or 4.78 per cent to a total of approximately $3,059 for 2015/16.
And while general rates are proposed to increase by the 2.4 per cent allowed by rate pegging, waste charges are to increase by 2.83 per cent, water charges by 9.79 per cent and wastewater charges by 4.66 per cent
The council’s finance manager Rino Santin said the increase in waste charges would result in full cost recovery.
‘The increases in water and wastewater charges reflect the need to increase funding to adequately fund asset management requirements to be consistent with the adopted Strategic Business Plans for these services,’ he said.
According to Mr Santin’s report, revenues for the coming year have been revised down from $101.628 million to $101.047 million, an unfavorable movement of $580,700.
At the same time, expenses have been revised up from $96.3 million to $97.655 million, an unfavorable movement of $1,354,700.
If approved, the draft Imagine Lismore 1 year plan will be exhibited for comment for 28 days.
Meanwhile, councillors tomorrow night will also consider a rescission motion lodged after the previous meeting.
A group of councillors is trying to do away with the recently approved Biodiversity Management Strategy and special rate variation.
The special rate would raise $500,00 which would be used to fund work, mainly in rural areas, for regeneration, weed control and tackling feral animals.
rescission motion lodged by Cls Graham Meinke, Greg Bennett, Gianpiero Battista, Neil Marks and Mathew Scheibel.
If the rescission motion is successful, Cls would then consider alternative motions.
Cr Greg Bennett’s motion calls on the council to cease all work on the BMS, amend all strategic documents to remove references to the BMS and to not proceed with an application to IPART for a rate variation.
Cr Neil Marks has given notice that he will move a motion that the council resolves to cut down the BMS into an internal environmental plan, excluding all work programs requiring funding from the special rate variation, and to not proceed with the application to IPART.
