What does the TRC rates increase mean for services?

Key messages - Our Annual Plan & Budget and Special Variation

Speaking Points In relation to AOP and The Special Variation will get us:

Continuation of existing service levels with the addition of-

In year 1:

• $4 million additional expenditure on roads
• Increase to pensioner rebates of $222,000
• $1,5M on assets such as buildings, stormwater, recreational assets (includes parks, TRECC and the Town Hall)

From year 2 onwards:

• $8.5 million dollars being spent on Council roads
• Increase to pensioner rebate of $443,200 (note this includes the $222,000 mentioned above)
• Over $3.3 million being spent on Council’s assets such as buildings, stormwater, recreational assets

If we do not implement the SV then Councillors will need to look at decreasing non infrastructure services by considering options such as:

• Libraries - shut at least one library
• Art Galleries - maintenance of current assets only, no new acquisitions
• Entertainment venues - sell assets (TRECC or AELEC) and potentially cease Capital Theatre tenancy • Scale back the Country Music Festival - less events, less days
• Reduced hours of operations of facilities such as pools, including the potential closure of pools
• Increase fees and charges on sporting fields to ensure that users are covering full costs (or at least reduce the level of subsidy)
• Close non-essential community buildings and halls
• Scale back road and infrastructure repairs and maintenance, however this would not be recommended due to the increased risk to human life
• Elimination of subsidisation of sporting events and the cessation of community grants programs
• Acknowledging that the above will result in the loss of staff

Importantly, most of the above are directly related to our Community Service Obligations levels which are currently at 80-90%. These would need to be significantly reduced.

Councillors would also need to consider situations where community and sporting groups have peppercorn lease agreements (eg $500 a year) for multimillion dollar assets e.g. hockey and most of the football codes. These rents may need to increase closer to market rates to help cover shortfalls or consider the sale of these assets in order to minimise Council’s future maintenance and replacement costs.

While not all actions or decisions would be required at once, Councillors would need to start prioritising with the community which of the above they are happy to see scaled back or ceased or sold for the next year's budget.