Lismore council to lobby against changes to development application levies

Councillors expressed outrage at a move by the State Government that they say undermines the council’s ability to do its job.

The loss of compliance levies will impact Lismore’s budget by $300,000. Photo The Northern Star

Proposed changes to compliance fees charged on development applications could result in Lismore council losing $300,000 a year from its budget, according to Lismore council staff.

Mayor Vanessa Ekins used her Mayoral Minute to raise concern about the State Government’s Compliance Funding Review, which proposes councils no longer charge compliance levies on DAs.

The NSW Government says it aimed to “create a more certain, consistent and transparent system for funding building compliance”.

But councillors called it cost-shifting and expressed their concern the decision placed more strain on the council budget and overrode the council’s ability to ensure compliance.

Cr Ekins said assessment fees were set by the State Government and already failed to cover the cost of ensuring DA compliance in the Lismore shire.

Lismore City Council’s director of Partnerships, Planning and Engagement, Eber Butron said removing the levies would impact the budget by $300,000 a year.

Mr Butron said the region was experiencing unprecedented growth, increasing compliance demand.

“It (compliance) is an excess cost to council. Taking away the levy will further impact council’s ability to ensure compliance,” Mr Butron said.

Councillor Adam Guise called the removal of compliance levies “despicable”, and impacted the council’s ability to conduct “lawful and proper compliance”.

He said the State Government was removing services from councils “by stealth”, without consultation.

“We’re doing our best, but we can’t do it when we are being white-anted,” he said.

The council resolved to lobby Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, the State Government, and the Opposition to defer changes to compliance levies to allow for more detailed consultation.

Proposed changes to compliance levies:

• From July 1, changes to regulation charges will be made to prohibit compliance levies on DAs for all councils.

• The changes include a six-month transition period to allow councils that already charge compliance levies on DAs to continue doing so until December 31.

• From September 1, new compliance cost notice provisions will come into effect for all councils, and a new compliance levy on CDCs will come into effect for all councils.

• January 1, 2022, councils may no longer charge compliance levies on DAs.