The price of Rous County Council’s move to Ballina

By Sarah Waters

The cost of Rous County Council’s move from Lismore to Ballina has come to light with a development application, currently sitting with Ballina Shire Council, citing a price tag of more than $17 million.

Rous purchased one of Ballina’s most iconic properties in August 2021, the former Thursday Plantation site (about 71 hectares) at 57 Gallans Road, for $6,850,000.

The cost to develop the site into its new headquarters is estimated to be a further $17,114,039 if Ballina Shire Council approve the DA.

Rous is currently using two buildings on the site; one building houses its water services operations and workshop.

The other building is used as an office space for Rous County Council staff and a visitor centre. Documents, submitted as part of the DA, reveal plans to convert the water services/workshop building into a new office facility.

It will include a staff kitchen, break room, storage area, records facility, multi faith room and an outdoor area.

A mechanical and electrical workshop and a new back-up diesel generator are also included in the proposal.

The existing visitor centre will be transformed into the new Rous council chambers as well as a training facility, committee and conference rooms, new kitchen, bathroom and storeroom.

Alterations to the internal road network and parking spaces will be made as well as additional landscaping.

An open green space on the site, which has large trees, and the disused Tea Tree hedge maze (formerly part of Thursday Plantation) will be turned into 4000 square meters of vehicle storage.

It will house 15 vehicles, including two crane tipper trucks, a three-ton excavator and trailer as well as four council fleet vehicles under the proposal.

Staff and visitor carparking for 60 vehicles is also planned.

The site still includes the once highly visited tee tree plantation.

No plans have been made for that section of the land yet.

Rous has leased its administration office in Molesworth Street, Lismore, for about 30 years.

It owns three depotstwo located in Lismore and one located in Woodburn.

One of its depots in Lismore was destroyed by the 2022 floods.

In June 2016, the former Rous County Council (trading as Rous Water) and Richmond River County Council and Far North Coast County Council (trading as Far North Coast Weeds) combined as one organisation - Rous County Council.

In a statement to the Northern Rivers Times a spokesperson for Rous County Council said since 2016, consistent effort has been invested to align and integrate the three businesses.

“During the period 2019-2021 this included investigating options to purchase a suitable strategically located property within the local government areas of Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Richmond Valley, being Rous’s core operational footprint,” the spokesperson said.

“Factors that were considered included a site that could accommodate council chambers, administration and depot activities and where the majority of staff could be colocated.”

The Rous spokesperson said consideration was also given to a site that could accommodate future growth.

Multiple properties, including several in Lismore, were considered, but they were located on a flood plain or constrained by size and zoning.

“Overall, property ownership provides better security and financial outcomes over the longer term than leasing.

“Ultimately this project will deliver financial benefit through the ownership of the asset, and via the saving on commercial rent and reduced cost impacts from flood recovery,” the spokesperson said.

Rous hope to be fully relocated to the Ballina site by 2025 - subject to development consent from Ballina Shire Council.

Rous said the cost of the proposed development was part of its long-term financial plan and capital expenditure program and it made more business sense, therefore reducing the cost to rate payers.

Local government revenue typically comes from rates, user charges/sales of goods and service and grants from federal and state governments.

Rous’ main income source (80 per cent) comes from the constituent council contributions for the supply of bulk water, which generates about $25 million - $30 million in revenue a year.

Rous aims to apply for applicable grant funding, as it becomes available, to assist with the associated costs for its new headquarters in Ballina.

Rous County Council supplies water in bulk to Ballina, Lismore, Byron Bay, and Richmond Valley residents.

A population of around 100,000 is serviced by this water supply system.

It also combats the spread of targeted weeds across the Northern Rivers and is the flood mitigation authority operating across the local government areas of Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley.

Rous is the first and only multi-purpose County Council in NSW.