Northern Beaches Council rate rise: Locals urged to protest 25 per cent increase

Residents have been urged to protest ahead of a Sydney council’s vote to hike rates up by 25 per cent. Here’s the latest.

Hundreds of angry locals are expected to protest outside a Sydney council chambers in what’s being flagged as the “biggest rally ever” against a proposed 25 per cent rate increase.

Northern Beaches Council is set to vote on the massive rate hike that will leave an average ratepayer $168 out of pocket next financial year.

But residents’ group, Northern Beaches Peoples Voice, has been urging ratepayers to protest on Tuesday before the 6pm meeting at council’s head office in Dee Why.

Ratepayer and group founder, Stuart Gold, has been reminding supporters through social media to not “forget the Biggest RALLY Ever” outside the council chambers.

“Take your stand against 25pc rate hike!” Mr Gold posted.

A social media poster urging people to attend the Northern Beaches Council meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, where a vote to raise rates by 25pc will take place. Picture: Supplied

One supporter described the Tuesday meeting, where independent councillor Vincent De Luca, will urge other councillors to reject the rate rise, as being similar to the legendary old west gunfight at the OK Corral in the US.

About 200 people protested before the January council meeting where a motion was passed — eight votes to seven — to seek permission to hike rates by 40 per cent over the next three years.

About 200 ratepayers attended a Northern Beaches Council protest in January over proposed rate increases. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

The IPART (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) rejected that bid, but did allow the council a vote to impose a 25 per cent increase over the next two years.

The council argued it needed the extra income from the “special rate variation” to ensure its long term financial sustainability and tackle an infrastructure and maintenance backlog.

It also wanted money to manage an increasing natural disasters such as flooding; improve current services and; enable the go-ahead for larger capital works, like the refurbishment of the Warringah Aquatic Centre.

If the new rate rise goes ahead, the council will pocket an extra $50m.

Ratepayers outside the Northern Beaches Council chambers at Dee Why in January. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

But critics of the rise say the council already has money in the bank to balance its budget while locals suffer through a cost of living crisis, and that it can make cutbacks by reducing non-essential services such as community events, slashing the number of senior managers and selling unused council property.

Cr De Luca, who has been leading the community push back against the rates hike, said that the council was refusing to make substantial internal savings.

He pointed out that it was still handing out $25.8m in salaries of 111 executives and spending millions of dollars on non-core council activities such as fireworks displays.

Cr De Luca called on his fellow councillors to reject the measure when the council votes on Tuesday night.

“You cannot sustain a bureaucracy which costs nearly $173m a year.”

Ratepayer Chantal Dray makes her feelings known at the January council meeting. Picture Thomas Lisson

Mr Gold said Northern Beaches Peoples Voice would call on councillors to reject the rise and urge them to focus on providing core services, such as repairing potholes.

IPART stated that the 25.2 per cent increase was “sufficient for the council to achieve financial sustainability and still accrue surpluses to fund expansions in environmental and natural disaster risk reduction programs and long-term investments in major infrastructure renewals”.

Mayor Sue Heins said the decision recognised the pressures on council’s budget.

“IPART has acknowledged the critical need to address the shortfall in Council’s budget caused by high inflation and increasing costs,” Ms Heins said.

“Council now has the ability to confidently move forward and continue to repair and renew roads, footpaths, rock pools, stormwater infrastructure and other community facilities.”

Originally published as Northern Beaches Council rate rise: Locals urged to protest 25 per cent increase