The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has called on Central Coast Council to “think laterally” and sell off unproductive land assets to help pay down Council’s debt.
The local Chamber has confirmed it will oppose the extension to Council’s Special Rate Variation which is currently being sought through IPART.
“The Chamber will be making written submissions to the Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) opposing Council’s request to extend the special rate increase that effectively subjects ratepayers in the south of the Central Coast LGA to rate hikes for 10 years,” Chamber President, Matthew Wales, said.
“This is particularly unacceptable when we are told by the Council that the rate hike is necessary to simply maintain existing services and that no new works or infrastructure will be undertaken in the foreseeable future.
“Effectively, ratepayers in the south will be slugged an extra 30 per cent to 40 per cent over the next 10 years but get absolutely nothing new for it.
“It is the Chamber’s view that this is an over-simplistic solution to the Council’s $565M debt problem as opposed to a more responsible approach to paying down its debt obligations.”
IPART noted in a February 15 statement that Council’s application to increase rates was a “large increase”.
“Last year we received over 6,000 community submissions on special variation applications.
“We also expect a high level of community engagement this year,” IPART Tribunal Chair, Carmel Donnelly, said.
Council has applied for a 15.55 per cent single-year increase starting in 2024-25 which will be retained temporarily in the rate base for seven years until 2030-31.
Council said, if approved, this application to IPART would extend the previous temporary special variation and repay the outstanding balance of $150M in emergency loans obtained to resolve the financial crisis.
The local Chamber has said that strategy was not good enough.
“This comes at a time when suburbs like those on the Peninsula are falling into neglect with our local road network lacking kerb and gutter, stormwater drainage and footpaths,” Wales said.
“Roads are potholed and crumbling before our eyes.
“It is an absolute embarrassment that the Peninsula, which is one hour from Australia’s premier City of Sydney, has 70 per cent of roads without kerb and gutter, useable footpaths or drainage.
“On top of this, our town centres of Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach and Woy Woy are barely being maintained by Central Coast Council where we are now being told that maintenance services will be further slashed due to Council’s financial woes.
“To add insult to injury, our beachfronts are a disgrace with weed-infested dune areas, eroding shorelines and substandard surf club carparks and forecourt areas at a time when we are supposed to be welcoming tourists.
“And we shouldn’t forget our overgrown parks and reserves, neglected streets and roundabouts riddled with weeds and potholed roads.”
The Chamber said the Council should sell off the Central Coast Water Authority which could potentially raise $3.5B.
“Rather than take the easy road, the Chamber wants the Council to think more laterally than simply slugging the ratepayer for more money.
“The solution is broader than simply hiking up the rates,” Wales said.
“The Council should be further investigating the sale of surplus land and assets rather than capping those sales at the $60M threshold required by the bank.
“If the land or asset is not productive or useful, sell it off and pay down the Council debt.
“That money should go directly to paying down Council’s $565M debt and the balance placed in a Future Fund to finance Council’s operations into the future and kerb and gutter, drain and pave the streets of the Peninsula.
“Peninsula residents have had enough of being Council’s cash cow and getting nothing in return.
“We have waited long enough for improved roads, services and community facilities – nothing for the next 10 years is simply unacceptable.”
Local residents can make submissions directly to IPART until March 7 by visiting ipart.nsw.gov.au
IPART will determine the application by mid-May.
Maisy Rae
Sadly it is all too evident that the Woy Woy peninsula has been forgotten by the monolithic central coast council. It feels lawless down here yet lots of development money obviously moving into coffers.
Around 2/3 of the $565M debt was, if course, inherited from the two previous councils ..
with current low interest rates, it makes sense to borrow for new infrastructure ..
It is so important to maintain maintenance!!! I Am so disappointed went I see the weeds along the road at roundabouts.
I live in Wyoming and we used to have regular maintenance but not anymore.
The Wyoming creek crosses my street and the grass on council land is so tall now must be full of snakes.I am tired of contacting council to mow it!!
I think keeping up the maintenance is the most important issue.
I notice some weeds at the traffic lights have now lifted the concrete.
This really has to be fixed if not it will end up costing more money
It is not only the Peninsula that has problems. It’s all of the Central Coast. Though Terrigal seems to do ok. I wonder why. Do not sell the Water dept as future residents will be paying higher bills for water forever. We could ask the Obeids what it is worth. They had an interest in water assets at one time.