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Motion: (Macri/Drury)
THAT Council:
1.
Writes to
the Premier, Treasurer, the Minister for Local Government
and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal
(IPART) noting:
a)
that we are
being forced to harmonise rates and many in our community see this a unfair;
b)
harmonisation
will lead to a major increase in rates for some residents in our community;
c)
if
they insist on harmonisation then we must be able to phase the increases over
4 years and observe they not yet legislated to allow us to do this.
2. Include in the letters to IPART the
Council’s community engagement report on rates harmonisation as well as
our preference for the minimum rates tabled below, should the rates
harmonisation have to proceed. Further, that Council request from the Local
Government Minister a specific timeline for when the legislative changes to
the rating system will be tabled in the Parliament;
Minimum Rates to apply from 1 July 2021 –
•
Residential - $850
•
Business –
General - $820
•
Business –
Industrial - $820
•
Business Shopping
Malls - $820
•
Business Airport -
$820
3.
Notes that
the NSW Government is yet to adopt key recommendations of a 2016
IPART Local Government
Rating System report which put forward a detailed
review of the local government rating system and how to make the
system fairer and more efficient;
4.
Responds in
writing to everyone who made a submission to Council about the proposed
changes to the rating structure, advising them of this resolution;
5.
Ensures all
future communications to residents about rates harmonisation
include reference to Council’s opposition to the NSW
Government’s council rate harmonisation process; and
6.
Notes that
a failure to set new minimum rates will result in a default minimum rate of
$565 which will not equitably distribute the rate burden across the former
council areas or require the majority of new ratepayers to contribute
adequately to the cost of services made available by Inner West Council.
Motion Carried
For Motion: Crs Byrne, Drury, Iskandar, Lockie, Macri, McKenna OAM, Raciti and
York
Against Motion: Crs Da Cruz, Hesse, Kiat, Passas, Porteous, Stamolis and Steer
Foreshadowed
Motion (Passas)
THAT Council:
1. Acknowledges that the rates harmonisation process is to be
implemented before 1 July 2021 in order to comply with the Local Government
Act 1993;
2. Receives and notes the Engagement Outcomes Report;
3. Endorses the
submission of an application to IPART for approval of the following Minimum
Rates to apply from 1 July 2021 –
• Residential - $790
• Business – General - $790
• Business – Industrial - $790
• Business Shopping Malls - $790
• Business Airport - $790
4. Notes that in response to council advocacy, the NSW State
Government is introducing a Bill to Parliament that will allow amalgamated
Councils to harmonise rates gradually over four years; and
5. Receives a report on options to phase in harmonisation as part of
the annual budget preparation process.
This Foreshadowed motion lapsed for want of seconder.
Foreshadowed
Motion (Hesse/Steer)
THAT Council:
1.
Conducts a
poll (Division1, 14 of the NSW Local Government Act) of all voting residents
at the local government election in September that asks residents whether
they wish to revert to the previous local government areas of Ashfield,
Leichhardt and Marrickville; and
2.
Writes to
the Minister for Local Government advising her that Inner West Council will
be conducting a poll on the future of the amalgamated Inner West Council, and
requesting her to freeze the rates harmonisation process until the results of
the referendum are received.
This
Foreshadowed motion lapsed.
Amendment
(Byrne)
THAT
Council incorporate the following wording into the foreshadowed motion.
‘That Council notes that a failure to
set new minimum rates will result in a default minimum rate of $565 which
will not equitably distribute the rate burden across the former council areas
or require the majority of new ratepayers to contribute adequately to the
cost of services made available by Inner West Council.’
This amendment did not
get voted on as the Primary Motion was carried.
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