4 April 2025
A North Sydney community precinct has called on council to suspend development of its draft Community Strategic Plan 2025–2035, labelling it financially irresponsible and out of step with resident priorities while the outcome of a proposed 87% rate increase remains uncertain.
In a unanimous resolution, the Lavender Bay Precinct has formally advised North Sydney Council not to proceed with the new strategic plan until the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal delivers its decision on the Special Rate Variation.
The group questioned the rationale for replacing the existing Community Strategic Plan, “North Sydney Vision 2040,” which was launched by mayor Zoe Baker in June 2022 following two years of community consultation. That plan—scheduled to run until 2032—is fully costed under council’s current Long-Term Financial Plan and underpins both the four-year Delivery Program and annual Operational Plan and Budget.
A community satisfaction survey presented to council in 2023 found high levels of satisfaction with services delivered under the existing CSP, with 60% of targeted KPIs met as of mid-2024.
Despite this, council has drafted a new CSP which Lavender Bay Precinct claims is “a wish list” formed by merging a set of unfunded “informing strategies” previously rejected by 78% of community survey respondents. The group also noted that these strategies were developed without reference to available resources.
“Why replace a plan that’s working?” the precinct asked in a statement accompanying the resolution. “What has fundamentally changed? And if some updates are required, why not revise the existing plan rather than pursuing a premature overhaul?”
Under the Local Government Act 1993, councils are required to either review or replace their CSP in the year following a local government election. However, the Act also places strong emphasis on financial responsibility and integrated resource planning—including workforce, financial and asset management strategies.
The Lavender Bay Precinct argues council has failed to align the new draft CSP with those requirements. It claims council “developed its informing strategies in isolation, found it didn’t have the funds to realise them and then applied to increase rates by 87% via a Special Rate Variation to fund its wish list.”
“Council is now asking the community to commit to this unfunded plan—despite not knowing whether it will have the money to implement it,” the group said. “This action is high risk, financially irresponsible and premature.”
In its resolution, the precinct requested that council:
-
Suspend work on the new CSP until the IPART decision on the SRV is known
-
Commit to genuine community engagement if it proceeds with a revised plan after May, to ensure it reflects local needs and priorities
Community members have until 9 April to make submissions on the draft plan via council’s consultation portal or by email.
North Sydney Sun has learned that IPART will issue its SRV decision in the first week of June.