Northern beaches residents’ rates to rise but drop in rubbish charges

RATES set to rise for northern beaches residents — but here’s why it could leave some with more money in their pockets.

Northern beaches rates are set to rise. Picture: Generic

• Bid to freeze northern beaches rates fails
• Plan to increase rates on the northern beaches

A PUSH to freeze rates for two years failed after Mayor Michael Regan used his casting vote to push through a proposed $31 a year rise at a special council meeting.

But planned cuts to council’s household rubbish collection charges could end up with ratepayers seeing a shrinking bottom line on their rates notices.

Council’s proposed budget — the draft Delivery Program — released last week includes an increase in rates by 2.3 per cent a year, which is in line with that suggested by the independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal for all councils.

Northern beaches mayor Michael Regan. Picture: AAP Image/Jeremy Piper

This comes as council proposes to reduce, or not increase, waste collection charges, depending on where you live.

Cr Regan said that an average of $31 a year increase in household rates would be offset by a reduction in domestic waste charges by as much as $94 for some residents.

“By keeping up with inflation, your council will continue to maintain and improve on our current levels of service rather than sending us backwards.”

The new figures come as a recission motion led by Liberal councillors, to block the release of the draft budget, was defeated at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.

Cr Rory Amon, backed by independent Vince De Luca, wants a rates freeze before all three former council areas come under the same rate structure in 2020.

They said budget surpluses were forecast for the next 10 years and that an expected $10 million a year savings from the amalgamation should cover the council for the next two years.

Dubbed “Rate Rise Regan” by his opponents, the mayor argued that a rates freeze would put too much strain on the budget and services would suffer.

“Quite simply, this (rate rise) will only cover the increase in costs to council in delivering existing services,” Cr Regan said.

Cr Rory Amon. Picture: Adam Yip/ Manly Daily

On Friday, acting CEO Helen Lever confirmed that if the next budget was accepted by council, domestic waste charges would either fall or not increase, across the region.

For a standard 80 litre bin, the proposed charge for former Manly ratepayers will be cut by $94.

The charge for former Pittwater ratepayers would be reduced from $609 to $518.

Former Warringah ratepayers keep the same $389 rubbish collection charge.

Ms Lever said the average residential rate would increase from $1399 to $1430, an increase of $31.

The draft Delivery Program is open for comment until May 27. Go to northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

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