Higher paid-parking fees, increased holiday park charges, and new commercial income streams are among a range of measures being put forward by Byron Mayor Sarah Ndiaye as Council grapples with mounting financial pressure.
In a notice of motion to this week’s Council meeting, Cr Ndiaye has called for a report into alternative ways to improve Council’s long-term financial sustainability, as debate continues over a possible Special Rate Variation (SRV) that could push residential rates up by more than 30 per cent.
The motion asks staff to investigate a wide range of revenue raising and cost saving measures, including expanded paid-parking across the Shire, increased fees and charges, higher holiday park tourist rates, commercial opportunities at Tyagarah Airstrip, and greater use of leasing and licensing arrangements for Council assets.
The proposal comes as Council publicly exhibits draft budget documents warning of significant long-term financial sustainability problems, including what staff have described elsewhere as a potential ‘risk of insolvency’ if no action is taken.
‘The Long-Term Financial Plan identifies a potential SRV as one mechanism to improve financial sustainability,’ she wrote in supporting information attached to the motion.
‘While this is an important discussion, it is equally important that Council and the community are provided with a clear understanding of all available options to strengthen Council’s financial position.’
The motion also seeks analysis of Council spending on external consultants and requests investigation into under-utilised Council-owned land and assets, though it stresses that ‘maintaining public assets in public ownership remains an important principle for Council and the community’.
In comments attached to the notice of motion, Council’s Director of Corporate and Community Services, Esmeralda Davis, said the draft budget documents already ‘highlight significant and ongoing financial sustainability challenges’.
Ms Davis said Council was already undertaking an organisational improvement and an efficiency program looking at areas including governance, technology, assets, service delivery, and finance.
‘Improving financial sustainability requires either increasing revenue or reducing expenditure,’ she wrote.
‘Simply increasing revenue without achieving a return on associated expenditure will not improve Council’s financial position.’
The report also notes that some Council properties have historically been leased at rates that ‘do not reflect the true cost of asset provision’, suggesting a more commercial approach could improve revenue, although this may create affordability concerns for some community organisations.
Cr Ndiaye’s notice of motion will go before Council at its 21 May meeting.
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