7 March 2025
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has confirmed it is considering a request for a public hearing on North Sydney Council’s proposed 87% special rate variation, following community concerns and consultation feedback. It has also extended the consultation period by one week to 24 March to allow further input.
In response to a request from North Sydney councillor Jessica Keen, IPART said it would take representations into account and may hold a public hearing once the consultation period ends. While the regulator is not required to conduct public hearings for special variation applications, it acknowledged strong community interest in this case.
IPART commenced community consultation on 25 February, offering surveys and written submissions as primary channels for feedback.
The tribunal will assess the council’s application under the Office of Local Government’s guidelines, which outline criteria for special variations and minimum rate increases. IPART has encouraged residents to participate in the ongoing consultation, either via online surveys or written and oral submissions.
North Sydney Council has sought an 87% cumulative rate increase over several years, citing financial sustainability and infrastructure funding needs. The proposal has drawn significant community scrutiny, with concerns raised about affordability and ratepayer impacts.
Meanwhile, discrepancies have been identified between the North Sydney Council minutes published on its website and those submitted to IPART as part of its application for the SRV. The version provided to IPART omits background details and a record of speakers, meaning the tribunal would not be aware that over 30 individuals provided feedback – much of it negative – during the 10 February council meeting.
Further scrutiny of submission timing shows that North Sydney Council uploaded its minutes and other parts of its application to IPART between 11:06 pm and midnight on 10 February, moments after the council meeting concluded. Given this timeline, the SRV submission to IPART could not have incorporated community feedback provided during the meeting, raising concerns about whether council adequately considered the input before finalising its application. According to one reader, the absence of this information in IPART’s records suggests the community’s views may not have been fully considered by the council before lodging its application.