Integrated Planning and Reporting 2024-25
The community engagement period has ended.
Council is required to adopt a new suite of annual integrated planning and reporting (IP&R) documents by 30 June 2024.
Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) is an umbrella term for a family of documents which together provide Council with a structured, consistent approach to community planning.
The Delivery Program 2022-2026 was adopted by Council in June 2022 and remains in place for the current term of Council. The Draft Operational Plan 2024-25 links to the adopted Delivery Program and provides a summary of the programs and projects Council plans to deliver for the community during the 2024-25 financial year.
The Draft Operational Plan has been developed within the framework of Council’s 2042 Your Future Community Strategic Plan (CSP) themes of Environment, Economy, Community and Leadership. There are 165 operational plan actions proposed for 2024-25 financial year, separated into annual programs, multi-year projects and new projects.
All capital expenditure projects with budgeted expenditure greater than $50,000 are detailed in the appendix of the Operational Plan 2024-25.
The other draft documents that form part of the suite include the Revenue Policy 2024-25, Schedule of Fees and Charges 2024-25, Rates Maps 2024-25 and Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) 2024-34.
How is the Special Rate Variation proposed factored into these documents?
The Draft Schedule of Fees and Charges 2024-25 includes two scenarios in relation to the ordinary rates charges. Scenario one details ordinary rates if Council’s Special Rate Variation (SRV) application is approved and adopted by Council. The second scenario details the ordinary rates charges if the 4.7% rate peg only was applied.
The outcome of Council’s application to Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal for an SRV will be determined in May 2024. Until such time, the General Fund LTFP property rate forecasts include the proposed SRV increase of 42.7% over three years, noting this applies to property rates not the whole bill.
Contained within the 10-year LTFP is a new Financial Sustainability Plan (FSP). This is how Council will find the savings to deliver on a strong commitment to addressing financial challenges irrespective of the IPART decision on the SRV application.
The FSP outlines 24 initiatives that will be delivered through 46 actions. These were informed by the work done in the SRV investigation and particularly takes into consideration the feedback received by the community.
If the SRV application is approved, the first-year increase will be 7.9%. This is lower than the 15% increases proposed for years 2 and 3 and gives Council more time to find savings and efficiencies that will hopefully make it unnecessary to put rates up by the 15% proposed in years 2 and 3.
Provide your feedback
Council has placed the draft documents on public exhibition for 28 days. You can view them through the links on the right, with physical copies available in our libraries and customer service counter.
The community is encouraged to provide feedback.
Submissions can be made on any or all of the draft documents, using the online submission tool; by email to ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au, handed into our customer service counter or mailed to:
The General Manager
Kempsey Shire Council
PO Box 3078
West Kempsey
NSW 2440
What happens next?
Senior staff will make presentations to key community and ratepayer groups while the documents are on public exhibition to ensure maximum awareness of Council's draft plans and budget.
Following the exhibition period, Council will review the submissions and send a response to you.
A summary of submissions and feedback will be incorporated into the council report presented to the ordinary meeting of Council in June 2024 for adoption.
