Roads, Bridges & Footpath Renewal $8.3M
Delivery Program & Draft Budget RoadShow
2022-2023
Deliver the Corowa Saleyards Upgrade Project $10.6M
Capital Works Program $18M
Water and Sewer Projects $8.9M
At its monthly meeting on Monday, May 16, Council endorsed a suite of draft strategic documents for public exhibition. Combined, these documents provide a guide to Council’s operations and help the organisation meet community demands for services and infrastructure by maximising what it can achieve with its available resources. Under the proposed budget, Council will complete $18M in capital projects. We will deliver $8.3M in road works, bridges and maintenance, and $8.9M in water and sewer projects.
Delivery Program and Draft Budget Exhibition At its monthly meeting on Monday, May 16, Council endorsed a suite of draft strategic documents for public exhibition. Combined, these documents provide a guide to Council’s operations and help the organisation meet community demands for services and infrastructure by maximising what it can achieve with its available resources. The suite of documents intend to set the direction of Council and include the following: • A list of the principal activities to be undertaken by the Council, together with the objectives, strategies and performance measures for each activity; • A rating structure for the year 2022-2023 to be effective from 1 July 2022; • A full listing of fees and charges for the 2022-2023 financial year; and • A 10 year Financial Plan. • Draft Asset Management Strategy. • Draft Workforce Management Strategy.
Budget Highlights Built Federation: • $10.6million Corowa Saleyards upgrade • $2.7million Cullivel Road Urana upgrade • $2.6million Balldale Road upgrade • Waste management strategy • Flood management plan (Urana & surrounds) • Howlong water infrastructure upgrades Economic Federation: • Progress sales of industrial land in Howlong • Implement North of the Murray branding • Seek funding for Ball Park Caravan Park upgrade • Finalise Federation Council Growth Strategy Natural Federation • Maintain Council’s extensive network of parks, gardens and recreation reserves • $2.6m Corowa foreshore upgrade • Lowe Square Howlong Masterplan
• • •
Waste collection and recycling services Finalise the John Foord Corowa Reserve Masterplan Update the Community Strategic Planning Statement
Social Federation: • Implement Ageing Well Strategy • Foster Federation Youth Council • Support Arts and Culture Committee and Community Drug Action Team • Mobile preschool in northern area • Libraries across Council area • Swimming pools Well-Governed Federation: • Post-election requirements, including the review of delegations • Community Engagement Strategy that applies across all Council’s operations • Progress Special Rate Variation for 2023/24 • Develop a climate change adaptation plan • Review the Customer Service Charter
Council invites feedback on the draft documents from all interested stakeholders and members of the community before 5pm Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Feedback is encouraged to be provided via the online form on Council’s website, or for anyone interested in providing feedback in writing, should do so by addressing correspondence to the General Manager, PO Box 77, Corowa NSW 2646 or email to council@federationcouncil.nsw.gov.au www.federationcouncil.nsw.gov.au
Council is committed to engaging with the community on the draft suite of documents, and will therefore be hosting a number of Delivery Program and Draft Budget Roadshow Sessions at the proposed locations and times: Date
Location
18 May
Corowa Civic Bowls Club
19 May
Howlong Multipurpose Hall & Gymnasium
5:30pm-6:30pm
24 May
Mulwala Council Office & Library
26 May
Urana Council Office
5:30pm-6:30pm
5:30pm-6:30pm
5:30pm-6:30pm
Council levies general rates on properties across the Federation Council area.
Operating Revenue
These funds contribute to the costs of delivering numerous services to the community.
Budgeted revenue of $46.2 million comes from a range of sources including ratepayers, State and Commonwealth Government and users of specific services.
In the 2022/23 year rates collected will support services within each of the following Council pillars:
Operating Expenditure Budgeted expenditure of $48.3 million will fund the delivery of an extensive range of Council services and meet Council’s existing legislative and contractual obligations. Further detail on specific services and initiatives in each pillar is provided in this year’s Delivery Program.
Long Term Financial Plan Scenarios
The Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) provides the strategic framework including ten year forward projections based on a range of scenarios to direct Council’s longer-term financial sustainability. The LTFP is updated annually to respond to any changes in the previous year, and to ensure it is always projecting out ten years, so it is essentially a rolling plan. The information and scenarios allow Council to make decisions and adapt and respond to challenges and opportunities whilst managing its long-term financial sustainability. It also allows the establishment of key financial principles that when executed, will ensure Federation Council continues to be financially sustainable and responsible, as it delivers the services that are valued and in many cases required (for critical services) right across the vast Federation Council Local Government area. For the purpose of the Draft Long Term Financial Plan 2022-2032, three scenarios have been prepared. Please see the options below which include total capital works over four years, average residential rate impact and service level changes.
Recommended Scenario Impact
Scenario Planned Scenario (Recommended): SRV with maintained service levels This scenario provides a $48 million annual operating program and $18.6m capital program for 2022/23 and a $104m total capital program over the 10 years. It contains rate increases at 2.5% for 2022/23, followed by a special rate variation for four years from 2023/24 to 2026/27 being 19%, 17%, 14% & 10%. This would provide capacity for Council to address the asset management demands of existing infrastructure over an extended period of time and maintain similar levels of service to those currently delivered.
Impact on ratepayers/residents
Total Capital works over (4 years)
Average Residental Rates
$53 million (incl. $11.4m additional SRV capital renewal)
NIL
Federation Residental
Alternate scenario 1: Lesser SRV with maintained service levels This scenario provides a $48 million annual operating program and $18.6m capital program for 2022/23 and a $92m total capital program over 10 years. It contains rate increases at 2.5% for 2022/23, followed by a special rate variation for three years from 2023/24 to 2025/26 being 17%, 15%, & 13%. This would provide capacity for Council to address some of the asset management demands of existing infrastructure over an extended period of time and maintain similar levels of service to those currently delivered.
Maintaining service levels and current level of investment in infrastructure would result in Council being unable to fund its operations by 2027. This is not recommended as being financially responsible.
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26
2026-27
$ 701
$ 719
$ 856
$ 1,001
$ 1,141
$ 1,255
NIL
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26
2026-27
$ 701
$ 719
$ 841
$ 968
$ 1,093
$ 1,121
$51 million (incl. $10m additional SRV capital renewal)
Federation Residental
No SRV
2021-22
$51 million (incl. $10m additional SRV capital renewal)
Federation Residental
Alternate Scenario 2: Lesser SRV with service reductions This scenario provides a $48 million annual operating program and $18.6m capital program for 2022/23 and a $102m total capital program over 10 years but a lower level of service in the operational area. It contains rate increases at 2.5% for 2022/23, followed by a special rate variation for three years from 2023/24 to 2025/26 being 17%, 15%, & 13% as well as a $1M reduction in the level of council service.
Service level changes
N/A
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26
2026-27
$ 701
$ 719
$ 841
$ 968
$ 1,093
$ 1,121
N/A
Service removal: Street sweeping, Community grants program, Community programs, tourism events, Hard copy communications, Sell underutilised community halls, Visitor information service. Service reductions: Library services - reduced opening days, Customer service counter in Corowa and Urana – reduced hours, Swimming pools – reduced opening hours / days, Parks and gardens – reduce number of parks and service levels of remaining parks, Economic and tourism development programs reduced, Council communications reduction, Scale back community events, Building assessments – minimum regulatory role, Lease out caravan parks. N/A