The Central Coast Council Operational Plan 2023-24 is now available for public comment, so it’s time to have your say!

The draft 12-month plan was placed on public exhibition this week and will be available for comment via Council’s community engagement website, Your Voice Our Coast, until 1 May 2023, alongside Council’s draft Fees and Charges. 

The draft Operational Plan shows a continued focus on service delivery to the community – an area Council knows it must continue to improve – through prudent expenditure, and incorporates the necessary adjustments to accommodate the increased depreciation trend and rising costs due to inflation. 

It goes without saying that inflation is not a Central Coast Council problem, but a challenge facing all councils given the current economic climate which is creating limitations on councils to increase revenue. The 2023-23 rate peg as determined by IPART for all councils has been set at 3.7%, despite inflation running at a higher percentage rate. The rate peg, alongside Council’s allowance for population increase (0.1%), gives a total proposed increase of 3.8% for the next financial year. 

Nonetheless, this draft Plan shows Council is focussed on ensuring our roads, open spaces, water and sewer assets, leisure and waste facilities are repaired and renewed.

Within the draft Fees and Charges, community members will be able to easily see which fees and charges are proposed to change in the coming financial year, after I requested the addition of a table identifying percentage changes in proposed Fees and Charges for 2023-24, compared to the same fee in 2022-23, to provide greater transparency with the community.

View the plans and have your say, head to: www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/operationalplan2324 

Rik Hart, Administrator