Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council announced this week that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) had extended the application deadline for a proposed rate increase, through a Special Rate Variation application from 3 February to 3 March.

The extension means an Extraordinary Meeting of Council planned for 1 February 2023 is no longer required, and has been cancelled. Community feedback on the Special Rate Variation (SRV) will instead be presented to the 8 February Ordinary Meeting.

• Queanbeyan council may increase rates to shore up finances (16 November)
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Rebecca Ryan, General Manager of QPRC, welcomed the news. “This extra month will provide Councillors more time to consider the community’s feedback on the proposed rate increases and review each scenario before making a decision.

“Since November, the Mayor and I have been attending two to three local progress, business chamber, and community association meetings a week all across Queanbeyan-Palerang to explain the background to the current financial situation.  We have welcomed the opportunity for these valuable discussions with local residents about what the proposed increase to rates mean, and what effects each scenario would have on a typical rates bill.  In addition, we have talked about Council services and how important these are for all our towns and villages.

“The application deadline extension means feedback can be better considered, and Councillors can make better informed decisions on which way to proceed.

“Councillors and I have heard from a lot of members of the community and I know there is keen interest in this issue. We have received a lot of feedback already through our formal feedback channels, and I strongly encourage everyone to read the extensive information on our Your Voice consultation website.”

QPRC is one of 17 NSW Councils to have notified IPART of their intent to apply for a SRV increase. Information about the process is on the IPART website.

Consultation on the SRV and Council’s Long Term Financial Plan remains open until 31 January 2023 at https://yourvoice.qprc.nsw.gov.au/srv.

If you would like to know more, or cannot find what you are looking for, please contact Council’s Director Corporate Services or the General Manager who are available to answer any questions about the proposal.

Once IPART has received QPRC’s application, they will undertake their own round of public consultation. A final report and decision is expected in May.