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Thursday April 30, 2026 
4 December 2024
North Sydney Council has kicked off a quickfire six-week community consultation process to muster awareness of its plans for rate rises of 50% or more from next July.
The planned rate rise aims to address what the Council says are financial sustainability challenges and to fund infrastructure, including but not limited to the delayed North Sydney Olympic Pool project and other strategic priorities.
The engagement process aims to meet guidelines from the NSW Office of Local Government and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, which will ultimately rule on the Council’s rate request.
The Council is working with New Zealand-based consultancy Morrison Low on the engagement and compliance plan underpinning the rate rises.
According to a Council spokesperson, “Morrison Low specialise in providing assistance to councils undertaking special rate variations, and were engaged under the Local Government Procurement Contract. The value for this engagement fell below that required for tender.”
The spokesperson said that “approval” for Morrison Low to proceed with the strategy was granted on 19 September. This was just 5 days after the Council election at a time when votes were still being counted, with three of the sitting councillors in the outgoing council at the time – James Spencley, Ian Mutton and Jilly Gibson – all confirming to the Sun that they had no inkling of plans to increase rates or take such a proposal to ratepayers at that point.
Under the plan, ratepayers are being presented with four rate rise options:
- 65.38% cumulative rate increase by 2027-28.
- Cumulative increases of 87.5% (two years) and 85.66% (one year) respectively.
- A cumulative increase of 111.2%.
The minimum residential rate—currently $715, paid by 77% of residents—would rise to $1,300 in 2025/26, an 81% increase.
The Council spokesperson justified the Christmas/NY timing of the rate rise consultation on the basis that it was the culmination of a long and deliberative process.
“We understand this is a busy time of year for many people. Like other councils across the State, engagement is taking place between November and January to meet IPART submission timeframes. The proposal follows an extensive process of review and planning to ensure a financial strategy that achieved both financial strength and sustainability,” Council said.
“This included: an internal review and organisational restructuring in 2023; the ‘Next Ten Years’ consultation program between May and June 2024; the development of independent studies in August and September 2024 and subsequent development of strategies for five key areas including Integrated Transport, Open Space and Recreation, Culture and Creativity, Social Inclusion, and Economic Development; the briefing of newly elected Councillors following their first meeting in October 2024 and the development of Council’s new Long-Term Financial Plan and SRV proposal presented in November 2024.”
Council is undertaking a public meeting tonight from 6pm at Hutley Hall to an expected audience of up to 200 ratepayers, with an online meeting to take place on 16 December.
It has also convened a so-called “citizen jury” which will meet this weekend. “We have engaged a demographically selected group of community members to take part in a forum on the special rate variation next weekend. This group has been selected by an independent research company,” the spokesperson said.
Council will convene a special session with the Combined Precinct Committee, which represents neighbourhood activists across North Sydney. This session aims to engage community leaders who can disseminate information and advocate for their precincts’ specific concerns and priorities.
Advertisements in what Council regards as key local newspapers, the Mosman Daily and North Shore Times, will inform the public about the plans. Social media campaigns will run concurrently across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to maximise reach, particularly among younger residents.
Fact sheets summarising the SRV options and impacts will be distributed online and in print. Materials will be translated into multiple languages to cater to North Sydney’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Council will even employ a billboard at Crows Nest to promote the campaign.
Morrison Low will present a detailed engagement outcomes report to council in January 2025, summarising key findings and the community’s willingness to support the rate rise. This report will inform council’s decision on whether to proceed with the IPART application.