The unavoidable arithmetic in Council’s Draft 2026/27 Budget is that day-to-day operations are no longer being funded by day-to-day revenue.
But there’s lots to appreciate. Council secured $63.9 million in grant funding for infrastructure recovery, and the sewer fund is largely self-funded.
The line-item detail allows the community to properly scrutinise the numbers. Transparency matters.
But here’s the thing: the internal general fund has dropped 25 per cent in a single year. Waste services are slipping into deficit.
Water infrastructure maintenance has been cut. Debt is rising.
We can’t have everything. We need to be honest about what we can’t afford to lose: safe roads, reliable water, and the essential services that support us.
We can’t shy away from the fact that something has to give, and we certainly can’t run on good intentions.
A sustainable rate rise may be one of many difficult but responsible paths we should prepare for.
The alternatives, like deeper service cuts, deferred maintenance and failing infrastructure, would be much more inconvenient.
Let’s have that conversation while we still have choices. The numbers tell a story we can’t ignore.
Submissions close on 31 May: https://yoursay.byron.nsw.gov.au/OP, and you can talk to Council. I did!
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