Council seeking community feedback over Budget shortfall

Council faced with dilemma: raise rates or reduce services

adventure we read how Dave handles the situation when they discover a shark in their prawning net.

Local author Dave Burston, is better known as MrChipz at the schools he has worked at, including Coraki and Evans River K-12. He wanted to write a story for his children and grandchildren of some of his actual adventures. is is his rst book, with the promise of more to come.

e book is beautifully illustrated by Canadian Aaron Wolf, who has a passion to create worlds and the characters of these lands.

Tweed Shire Council is seeking community feedback on how best to make up a $1.6 million shortfall in the 2023/24 Budget, with two options placed on public exhibition.

Council is seeking to apply for a 2.35% rise in general rates (known as a Special Rate Variation or SRV) in addition to the 4.0% pegged rate rise already approved for the Tweed by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) – an independent body that determines the level of rates able to be collected by councils across NSW.

As part of this process, Council has called for community input on whether they support the SRV or would prefer to see Council find the additional funds required by reducing service levels.

Mayor of Tweed find an additional $1.6 million in our budget for the next financial year to meet the rising costs of delivering services and to ensure our information systems are up to date and secure.

Shire Chris Cherry said the community is being asked to provide feedback ahead of a Council decision on the issue scheduled for the June meeting.

“We are asking residents if they would support a small rate rise or opt for a reduction in services instead. This feedback will inform Council when we come to vote on this issue at the June meeting, in what is arguably the most important decision we will make this year.”

The extra costs Council needs to fund include:

• compliance officers previously funded by environmental enforcement levies recently removed by the NSW Government

• upgrading core IT business systems to make it easier and safer to do business with Council

• additional cyber security of two ways:

• increased insurance premiums.

• Increase Council’s revenue through a Special Rate Variation by increasing rates by an additional 2.35% above the rate peg increase of 4%. The 2.35% increase represents an average rate rise of $37.55 for the year — or on average of 72 cents a week — per ratepayer.

• Option two is to look at ways to reduce costs. The only way we can do that is to reduce some of Council’s service levels to the community.

Some of the services that may be affected include the potential to close Kingscliff Library, reduce road and park maintenance levels including pothole repair, reduce opening hours at Council’s three aquatic centres, reduce the scale of Council’s new animal pound – among other service reductions.

Council to reduce its current level of service?” she said.

“I urge all of you to have your say on the options. If you have never given your input into a Council decision before, this is the time to do it.”

You can order Dave the Deckie through www. shawlingpublishing.com.

“Just like rising living costs are hitting the hip-pockets of everyday Australians, they are also hitting Council’s bottom line,” Cr Cherry said.

“Council needs to

An unprecedented growth in development applications since the COVID-19 pandemic is another challenge, with additional staff required to help reduce processing times.

Council can fund this extra $1.6 million in one

Cr Cherry urged all residents to provide their feedback by taking part in a survey on the issue.

“Council is now asking the community what you think about these two options: Would you accept a small increase in rates so Council can maintain current service levels to the community, or would you prefer

Visit yoursaytweed. com.au/srv to find out more details and tell us what you think before 4 pm on Friday 26 May. You can also register for upcoming Community Conversations where there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Community Conversations will be held in Tweed Heads on Monday 15 May and in Murwillumbah on Tuesday 16 May. Register to receive more details via the link on the Your Say Tweed page. To find out more about how Council rates are calculated, visit tweed. nsw.gov.au/ ratesexplained and watch the animated video.

For more information on the Draft 2022-2026 Delivery Program and 2023/24 Operational Plan, including more details on the SRV, view the report presented to Councillors in their meeting on 20 April 2023 at tweed.nsw.gov. au/council-meetings

About the Project Art Pharmacy in collaboration with Health Infrastructure NSW has commissioned 36 artworks by 9 artists local to the Northern Rivers region for the Lismore Base Hospital’s new art trail. Each artwork has been influenced by the hospital floor’s themes of greenery, water and flowers, and speaks to elements such as healing, Country, peace and connection. Guided by an art narrative of ‘sanctuary’ and what it means to be in a safe and nurturing collective place, the artists have spent the past year producing their spectacular artworks for this internal art trail. Each artwork will also be allocated its own art therapy kit, for the patients of Lismore Base Hospital to connect and engage with through conversation and exercises.

Lismore Base Hospital Director of Nursing, Narelle Gleeson, said “exposure to the arts has a profoundly beneficial impact, improving patient health and wellbeing and through its use in health promotion and messaging, improving health literacy for individuals and the wider community.”

“This art trail reflects the strength and creativity of

Dylan Bolt, Blue Haven, 2022. Photo: Lisa Gough the Lismore community, and how willing they were to support healing in the Hospital.”

Artists work explores how we remember the places we have visited. and the relationships that exist in the natural world.

Dylan Bolt is an Indigenous Australian painter from Bundjalung Country whose practice explores his relationship with the ocean, as well as the relationship between animals and their environments.

Emily Imeson, 2022 winner of the Paddington Art Prize, examines how landscape painting can be an important tool in responding to the twenty-first-century effects of climate change, and impending ecological issues.

Frances Belle Parker is an Indigenous painter from Yaegl Country whose practice explores her relationship with the Ulgundahi Island where her mother grew up.

Born in Tweed Heads, Leah Bartholomew uses her art to explore an abstract representation of the beauty found in the plants and wildlife of her local environment.

Byron Bay artist Matthew Sansom explores a creative narrative through his artwork that tells stories of nature, light and design.

Koori artist Sylvia Khan was born at the Lismore Base Hospital and through her art interprets her connection to her Aboriginality.

Tiffany Kingston is a Byron Bay-based painter whose practice awakens a greater understanding of the preciousness of all living things through the natural environment.

About Art Pharmacy

Art Pharmacy is one of Australia’s leading art consultancies who implement creative visions and strategically curate art and cultural projects. The team have previously worked on significant projects in the public realm, and see these as a platform to bring high-quality and meaningful art into the everyday lives of all Australians.

Tom Wolff, Untitled, 2022. Photo: Lisa Gough

Karyn Fendley is a landscape artist from Mullumbimby, whose

Your pleasure is our business...

Lennox Head artist Tom Wolff is a photographer and writer who captures stories of people, places

Art Pharmacy’s goal has always been to keep our Australian creative community thriving. As a B-Corp certified organisation, Art Pharmacy has worked hard to promote emerging and established local artists through placecentric projects to give back to the Australian creative community and empower both artists and creative suppliers.

Available for interview:

• Curatorial Team at Art Pharmacy including Founding Director Emilya Colliver

• Select artists involved upon request

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