An extraordinary meeting of Central Coast Council will be held online at 12pm tomorrow, Tuesday, September 7 so Administrator, Rik Hart, can resolve to submit an application to IPART for a review of water, sewerage and stormwater rates.
Hart foreshadowed the meeting in an interview with CCN last week when explaining that a shortfall in Council’s water and drainage funds was currently being covered by its general fund.
“We will make an IPART submission [for a review of water, sewerage and drainage charges] but we are going to be struggling in the drainage area and that is something the general fund has to subsidise for at the moment,” Hart said.
“If there is anything granted by IPART it won’t apply until July next year,” he said.
IPART announced in August its intention to review the maximum prices Central Coast Council can charge for water, wastewater, stormwater and other services.
The IPART review process will take nine months and will follow its standard water price review process to independently review and set prices.
Information webinars are available on the IPART website and the community will have several opportunities to have its say.
The Council’s pricing proposal, expected to be adopted by Hart at tomorrow’s extraordinary meeting will be published on IPART’s website and an issues paper will be released in October.
“This will highlight key issues on which we seek feedback,” IPART said. “We plan to accept submissions from the public and other stakeholders until late October.
“There will also be further opportunity to present your views at our public hearings which we plan to hold in November 2021 and April 2022.”
The review of Council’s maximum water, sewerage and drainage charges is occurring in parallel with a review of the ownership structure of its $4B water and sewer business.
Tomorrow’s extraordinary meeting will be live streamed via Council’s You Tube channel including a public forum.
Jackie Pearson