Shaping Tomorrow - The Future of Glen Innes Severn

24 April 2025

Have Your Say on Council's Future Plans and Improved Long-Term Financial Sustainability

At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 24 April 2025, Councillors endorsed a number of strategies and plans that will be discussed with the community through a comprehensive Community Engagement Program - Shaping Tomorrow.

These include the Draft Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) documents:

• Draft Community Strategic Plan (CSP)
• Draft Delivery Program (DP)
• Draft Operational Plan (OP)
• Draft Revised Long Term Financial Plan

Learn more about how you can Have Your Say on these documents here.

Council's Proposal for a Special Rate Variation

To ensure the community is aligned with future plans, Council is now asking residents and ratepayers’ for their feedback on the various scenarios proposed as part of an application to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) for July 2026.

The Shaping Tomorrow Community Consultation period will run until 6 June 2025. There are a number of ways people can participate:

Virtual Information Sessions: For those unable to attend the in-person Community Information Sessions, they are welcome to join the virtual sessions:

• 6 May 5:30pm - 7pm
• 15 May 5:30pm - 7pm
• 28 May 5:30pm – 7pm

At the conclusion of the community engagement period, Council will review the feedback received and determine whether to proceed with an application for an SRV. A decision will be made at the Council meeting scheduled for 19^th June 2025. If Council decides to move forward, it will notify IPART of its intent to lodge an SRV application in February 2026. If Council decides to proceed with the application in February 2026, residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback directly to IPART as part of the formal review process. They can visit IPART’s Have Your Say page for more information: https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Reviews/Have-Your-Say

22 April 2025

Council's Business Papers for the April Ordinary Council Meeting Go Live

Summary

Council has unveiled plans designed to help secure Glen Innes Seven's future for the next decade to ensure, together we're creating a vibrant place to live, work and grow. The focus is on empowering communities, supporting local industries and being transparent in everything we do. It’s all about building a future where everyone can prosper - together.

Council’s business paper for the Ordinary Meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday, 24 April 2025 is now available.

Among the April business paper is Council's updated Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) Documents, including the Draft Community Strategic Plan (CSP) that outlines the vision and strategic objectives for the Council for the next 10 years.

The Draft Delivery Program (DP) then details the strategies Council will employ during their term to achieve the objectives outlined in the CSP. The community has played a vital role in shaping these Plans through the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey and the Towards 2034 Community Engagement Program.

Also available is the Draft Operational Plan (OP) 2025-2026. The OP identifies the individual projects and activities to be undertaken in the next financial year alongside a detailed annual budget.

Learn more about Council's Draft IP&R Documents

Glen Innes Severn Council's Financial Sustainability

Council’s updated 2025-2035 Draft Revised Long term Financial Plan (LTFP) is also among those papers. It details how Council will remain financially viable over the next 10 years.

It is important for Council to remain financially sustainable for generations to come and maintain the regional infrastructure and services necessary to ensure. Glen Innes Severn can support healthy, safe, prosperous and happy communities.

To ensure Council remains financially viable into the future, financial experts were engaged in 2024 to undertake an independent review of Council’s financial position. A ten-year fully integrated forecasting model was developed, which included Council’s available income and expenditure for services, asset and workforce requirements.

This review found that Council’s budget faces significant pressures and that like many other Council’s in NSW Glen Innes Severn is faced with an income gap, with costs increasing at a greater rate than revenue. This imbalance is projected to grow over the coming decade.

To address Council’s financial sustainability challenges, the following strategic actions were undertaken in 2024/2025:

1. Council developed a Service Review Program to inform a council-wide improvement plan focusing on areas for potential service cost reductions.
2. Council reviewed the Waste (domestic and non-domestic), Water and Sewer Services Costs and Pricing. The aim of this review was to ensure that all costs (including appropriate overheads) were identified, and that Council implement a Pricing Strategy to ensure that waste, water and sewer fees and charges fund all these costs over time.
3. Council reviewed its Asset Management Strategy to address the asset backlog ratio of 8.0%.
4. Council is creating the Elevate 360 Improvement Plan, which includes aims to deliver further efficiencies, customer service improvements and savings, including annual service reviews.

These initiatives will ensure Council’s General Fund operations are as efficient and effective as possible, however they are not likely to fully address Council’s operating deficits or its declining cash entirely. To do this, Council must consider a permanent Special Rate Variation (SRV) in addition to the rate peg, in 2025/2026 to increase revenue and allow Council to fully fund the delivery of services and act on a proposed Growth and Prosperity Program.

Under current conditions, Council's General Fund is not financially sustainable. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and upgrade essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, kerbing and guttering, parks, drainage, buildings and other community assets or provide new community facilities.

Watch the Expert video on Council Rates.

Watch the Expert video on Council's Financial Position.

What happens next?

This has prompted Council to consider the option of applying to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to be implemented in 2026-2027.

If endorsed at the April 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting, a comprehensive Community Engagement Program will be conducted until 6 June 2025 and residents and ratepayers will be encouraged to have their say on four proposed SRV options. The Council Meeting will be live streamed and available to watch here.