Federation Council is providing further opportunities for residents to engage on its Special Rate Variation (SRV) application, submitted to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for assessment. A council-wide mail-out will be distributed next week to update the community on the proposed permanent increase to general rates, followed by pop up information sessions in Corowa, Howlong, Mulwala and Urana as per below -
- Monday, March 3: Corowa Memorial Arcade (10am-11:30am)
- Monday, March 3: Mulwala Bakery (1pm-2:30pm).
- Tuesday, March 4: Howlong Bakery (10am-11:30am)
- Tuesday, March 4: Urana Takeaway (1pm-2:30pm).
The SRV proposes an increase to general rates of 19% in 2025/26 and 11.8% in 2026/27. The cumulative increase across the four years from 2023/24 to 2026/26 is 69.94%, to include the temporary increases of 19% and 17% applied in 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively to make those increases permanent/remaining in the rate base.
IPART will publicly exhibit the application and call for submissions, and this is expected to be through March/April, before they make a decision expected in May. Once Council knows the exact exhibition dates, this will be communicated to residents.
Information about IPART, their assessment process, and direct engagement opportunities can be found on the IPART website.
Federation Council Mayor, Cr Cheryl Cook said Council understands that rate increases can cause concern within the community and can be confusing to understand the actual amounts rates will rise by, if approved.
"That's why we're committed to providing as much information as possible and creating opportunities for open dialogue," she said. This includes a rates estimator, on the website and staff are also available should residents wish to make an appointment to further understand the SRV and its impact on their rates.
"This rate rise is crucial for addressing years of underfunding and ensuring we can continue to deliver the essential services our community relies on, particularly maintaining our road network. We've made significant cost savings over the past five years, but these alone are not enough to address the backlog of infrastructure maintenance and the rising costs we face. This rate rise, if approved, will allow us to further achieve progress in respect to our essential works and plan for the future of our growing community."
Residents are invited to attend a series of pop-up sessions in the first week of March where staff will be available to answer questions about the SRV application and the IPART process. Ratepayers are also being encouraged to bring their rates notice to utilize the general rates estimator calculator that will also be available at the pop-up sessions to help ratepayers understand the estimated impact the proposed increases will have on them.
"We encourage all residents to read the shire wide mail out material, attend a pop-up session, visit our website, or contact us directly to learn more about the SRV," said Mayor Cook.
"Ongoing input from our residents and open dialogue is invaluable as we work towards a sustainable future for Federation Council."
Alternatively, if these times and days do not suit, residents are encouraged to view the suite of information available about the SRV application on Council's website
