Residents and Ratepayers Association urges Wagga council to 'think carefully' before adopting max rate hike

Wagga City Council was given permission to raise rates for home owners 3.8 per cent in 2023/24, by the latest set of rate pegs released by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

The ruling allows the council to potentially increase its residential rates by more than $100 for some residents, with the peg being the highest ever set for Wagga.

In other news

But with cost of living pressures surging and many residents struggling to make ends meet, Wagga Residents and Ratepayers Association president Chris Roche said the council shouldn't rush into adopting the full rise.

"The residents are going to be upset. That's why council has to seriously consider not just going to the maximum 3.8 per cent increase," he said.

"The council should really take into consideration people's cost of living increases before they throw another increase on the residents as well - think carefully."

Wagga City Council has not made an official decision regarding rates for next financial year, but it is relatively uncommon for a council to not adopt the maximum rise.

"Council have read about the IPART decision regarding the rate peg for the 2023-24 financial year decision in the media this morning," a Council spokesperson said on Thursday.

"Once Council receives the official notice, staff will review the decision and its implications."

Some councillors have said raising money from rates could be key to improving maintenance of the much-criticised roads across the region.

Mr Roche said if the full rate rise was ultimately adopted, the use of the extra revenue should be closely scrutinised by residents.

"The important justification of any rate rise is ensuring the money is spent properly," he said.

"If they do adopt it, they need to be looking at fixing up the roads, looking at what is upsetting residents of Wagga and making sure they're fixing the important things and not just spending money on whim ideas."

Income generated by rates makes up approximately 25 per cent of Wagga City Council's total yearly income.

The 2022/23 rates are estimated to have generated $47,570 for the council.

The base rate peg across NSW for next financial year was set at 3.7 per cent, with areas of rapid growth being granted higher allowances.

Riverina councils given permission for the highest rate hikes include Greater Hume (4.7 per cent), Edward River (4.4 per cent), Federation (4.3 per cent), and Murray River (4.1 per cent).

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: