Introduction
At its meeting on 12 September 2017, Council resolved to prepare supplementary documentation under Council’s Fit for the Future community engagement program to seek further community comment on three options for resourcing the implementation of the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan 2017-2026 and the Hawkesbury City Council Delivery Program 2017-2021. Two of the options involve proposals for special rate increases.
Council has subsequently approved the Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017- 2027 and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017-2021 to be placed on public exhibition and to seek submissions on these documents.
The Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program are an addendum to the Resourcing Strategy and Delivery Program adopted by Council in June 2017. They have been prepared to specifically advise residents of the results of the 'Investing in Your Future' community consultations and provide further information to residents on the projected service level outcomes of Council's preferred investment option relative to the other options.
These supplementary documents highlight relative outcomes on long-term service provision, the capacity to maintain, renew and upgrade community assets, and the resourcing of the directions within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan and the key activity areas in the Delivery Program. They also incorporate an assessment of the affordability and rating impacts of its preferred resourcing option.
As supplementary documents, the Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program include links to Council’s adopted Resourcing Strategy and Delivery Program, and should be considered in conjunction with these adopted documents. For brevity and clarity, information contained in the adopted documents has not been reproduced in the supplementary documentation.
The draft supplementary documentation has been prepared as a single document, but in two parts, separately titled.
Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017 -2021
This draft supplementary ten year Resourcing Strategy and draft Supplementary Delivery Program has been developed for public exhibition and community consultation in accordance with Council's Fit For The Future Community Engagement Strategy.
The Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 highlights the outcomes of Council's ongoing conversation with residents about the future of the Hawkesbury.
These conversations began in August 2016 and were conducted over three stages:
Stage 1 - 'Listening to Our Community'
 | Consultations where Council went out to hear what residents had to say about their satisfaction and expectations for Council's services and facilities and their priorities for future investment.
These consultations took place between 22 July and 24 August 2016.
|
Stage 2 - 'The Hawkesbury 2036…It's Our Future'
 | Consultations where Council spoke with residents on the things they valued about living in the Hawkesbury and steps to deliver the future that residents wanted to see - a vibrant city, with a rural feel.
These consultations took place between 23 January and 12 March 2017.
|
Stage 3 - 'Investing in Your Future'
 | Consultations where Council briefed residents on its financial position and presented three investment options for residents to consider and asked them to identify their preferred option for investing in the future.
These consultations took place between 10 July and 12 August 2017.
|
This comprehensive consultation program included the following engagement activities:
• 26 town meetings attended by over 923 residents
• 25 information kiosks and stalls at shopping centres, markets and council events
• two statistically valid telephone surveys run on Council's behalf by Micromex Research
• a mail out of information brochures and postal ballots to all ratepayers
• public exhibition of key documents and calls for submissions
• online surveys and information up-dates on Council's online engagement portal.
The Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 represents a further component of this community consultation and engagement program. It presents three financial scenarios which balance the provision of services against the available revenue provided under each investment option. It also outlines the impact that each option will have on Council services and facilities.
The three investment options
The three investment options presented in this in the Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 include:
 Option 1: Reduce
Where Council's rating income would be aligned with the assumed 'rate peg' amounts over the next three year period. The rate peg increases will not provide sufficient funding to maintain the condition of assets and current service levels.
No additional funding from a Special Rate Variation would be available resulting in a reduction in service levels and the deterioration in the condition of Council's $1 billion portfolio of community assets.
Under this option Council will not have the capacity to fund required levels of asset management unless some difficult decisions are taken to reduce community, cultural and recreation services or close unsafe facilities so that funds can be redirected to keep essential infrastructure safe and functioning. This option provides no capacity to fund new programs or community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
|
 Option 2: Stabilise
Where Council would apply for a Special Rate Variation for additional funding to stabilise the condition of community assets.
The primary focus of this option will be to maintain the condition of Council's $1 billion portfolio of community assets rather than providing funds to upgrade these assets.
This option will allow Council to shift towards a more preventative asset management approach rather than waiting for assets to deteriorate to the point where repairs are required. It will also provide some scope to reconfigure resources to fund new programs and community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
|
 Option 3: Improve
Where Council would apply for a Special Rate Variation (more than Option 2) for additional funding to stabilise and then gradually improve the condition of community assets over time.
While the primary focus of this option will be to maintain the condition of community assets, it will provide funds for an ongoing program of asset upgrades and new works.
This option will allow Council to work towards best practice asset management to fully fund the maintenance, replacement and upgrade of community assets over the long term. It will also enable Council to direct additional resources to fund new programs and community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
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|
Council has identified Option 3 as its preferred investment option.
Next Steps and Time Line
The Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027, incorporating the Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017-2021 is on public exhibition between 13 October 2017-10 November 2017 with the outcomes and submissions of the public exhibition to be further reported to Council at its Ordinary Meeting to be held on 28 November 2017 to enable Council to determine its final position on proceeding with a Special Rate Variation application.
Should Council determine to proceed with a special rate increase, it will need to advise the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of its intention to do so in early December 2017.
Introduction
At its meeting on 12 September 2017, Council resolved to prepare supplementary documentation under Council’s Fit for the Future community engagement program to seek further community comment on three options for resourcing the implementation of the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan 2017-2026 and the Hawkesbury City Council Delivery Program 2017-2021. Two of the options involve proposals for special rate increases.
Council has subsequently approved the Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017- 2027 and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017-2021 to be placed on public exhibition and to seek submissions on these documents.
The Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program are an addendum to the Resourcing Strategy and Delivery Program adopted by Council in June 2017. They have been prepared to specifically advise residents of the results of the 'Investing in Your Future' community consultations and provide further information to residents on the projected service level outcomes of Council's preferred investment option relative to the other options.
These supplementary documents highlight relative outcomes on long-term service provision, the capacity to maintain, renew and upgrade community assets, and the resourcing of the directions within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan and the key activity areas in the Delivery Program. They also incorporate an assessment of the affordability and rating impacts of its preferred resourcing option.
As supplementary documents, the Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program include links to Council’s adopted Resourcing Strategy and Delivery Program, and should be considered in conjunction with these adopted documents. For brevity and clarity, information contained in the adopted documents has not been reproduced in the supplementary documentation.
The draft supplementary documentation has been prepared as a single document, but in two parts, separately titled.
Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 and Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017 -2021
This draft supplementary ten year Resourcing Strategy and draft Supplementary Delivery Program has been developed for public exhibition and community consultation in accordance with Council's Fit For The Future Community Engagement Strategy.
The Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 highlights the outcomes of Council's ongoing conversation with residents about the future of the Hawkesbury.
These conversations began in August 2016 and were conducted over three stages:
Stage 1 - 'Listening to Our Community'
| Consultations where Council went out to hear what residents had to say about their satisfaction and expectations for Council's services and facilities and their priorities for future investment.
These consultations took place between 22 July and 24 August 2016.
|
Stage 2 - 'The Hawkesbury 2036…It's Our Future'
| Consultations where Council spoke with residents on the things they valued about living in the Hawkesbury and steps to deliver the future that residents wanted to see - a vibrant city, with a rural feel.
These consultations took place between 23 January and 12 March 2017.
|
Stage 3 - 'Investing in Your Future'
| Consultations where Council briefed residents on its financial position and presented three investment options for residents to consider and asked them to identify their preferred option for investing in the future.
These consultations took place between 10 July and 12 August 2017.
|
This comprehensive consultation program included the following engagement activities:
• 26 town meetings attended by over 923 residents
• 25 information kiosks and stalls at shopping centres, markets and council events
• two statistically valid telephone surveys run on Council's behalf by Micromex Research
• a mail out of information brochures and postal ballots to all ratepayers
• public exhibition of key documents and calls for submissions
• online surveys and information up-dates on Council's online engagement portal.
The Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 represents a further component of this community consultation and engagement program. It presents three financial scenarios which balance the provision of services against the available revenue provided under each investment option. It also outlines the impact that each option will have on Council services and facilities.
The three investment options
The three investment options presented in this in the Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027 include:
Option 1: Reduce
Where Council's rating income would be aligned with the assumed 'rate peg' amounts over the next three year period. The rate peg increases will not provide sufficient funding to maintain the condition of assets and current service levels.
No additional funding from a Special Rate Variation would be available resulting in a reduction in service levels and the deterioration in the condition of Council's $1 billion portfolio of community assets.
Under this option Council will not have the capacity to fund required levels of asset management unless some difficult decisions are taken to reduce community, cultural and recreation services or close unsafe facilities so that funds can be redirected to keep essential infrastructure safe and functioning. This option provides no capacity to fund new programs or community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
|
Option 2: Stabilise Where Council would apply for a Special Rate Variation for additional funding to stabilise the condition of community assets.
The primary focus of this option will be to maintain the condition of Council's $1 billion portfolio of community assets rather than providing funds to upgrade these assets.
This option will allow Council to shift towards a more preventative asset management approach rather than waiting for assets to deteriorate to the point where repairs are required. It will also provide some scope to reconfigure resources to fund new programs and community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
|
Option 3: Improve Where Council would apply for a Special Rate Variation (more than Option 2) for additional funding to stabilise and then gradually improve the condition of community assets over time.
While the primary focus of this option will be to maintain the condition of community assets, it will provide funds for an ongoing program of asset upgrades and new works.
This option will allow Council to work towards best practice asset management to fully fund the maintenance, replacement and upgrade of community assets over the long term. It will also enable Council to direct additional resources to fund new programs and community investment priorities within the Hawkesbury Community Strategic Plan.
|
|
Council has identified Option 3 as its preferred investment option.
Next Steps and Time Line
The Draft Supplementary Resourcing Strategy 2017-2027, incorporating the Draft Supplementary Delivery Program 2017-2021 is on public exhibition between 13 October 2017-10 November 2017 with the outcomes and submissions of the public exhibition to be further reported to Council at its Ordinary Meeting to be held on 28 November 2017 to enable Council to determine its final position on proceeding with a Special Rate Variation application.
Should Council determine to proceed with a special rate increase, it will need to advise the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of its intention to do so in early December 2017.
