Month: January 2026

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Who decides your Rates?

This graphic shows what controls your council has on your rates. Most of the decisions are taken from council by the state government, whether it’s through property valuations (NSW Valuer General), the Local Government Act 1993, service mandates and concessions, and of course, iPART which sets the annual rate pegging amounts.

Council decides how this is shared between the properties in our LGA.

From the council website, ‘We use land values to distribute rates across the local government area. We do this by using a combination of the land value of the property and a fixed amount per property.’ https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Services/Make-a-payment/Rates-fees-and-charges/Your-rates-levies-and-charges

As valuations fluctuate so do rate amounts and anomalies can appear when properties on either side of a street, receiving the same services, can have widely differing rates.

Council website further states, ‘For detailed tables of base and ad valorem rates for our region see our operational plan.’ https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Your-Council/About-MidCoast-Council/Plans-strategies-and-policies/Our-delivery-program-operational-plan-and-budgets

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The increasing cost of not fixing roads

Every year council falls $16m further behind in its ability to maintain the roads.

Here’s a way to understand what it costs to not fix them.

  • Resealing roads costs around $7 per m2
  • Rehabilitating roads can be in the range of $30-80 per m2 depending upon the severity and extent of the rehabilitation required to provide adequate pavement strength. 
  • Reconstructing roads can range from $100 – 200 per m2 or even up as much as $400-500 per m2 in the worst examples.

If roads aren’t regularly resealed then they will need to be rehabilitated, if not rehabilitated then reconstructed. The cost escalates. The likelihood of the work being done diminishes. The state of the roads worsen.

It’s not a pretty picture.

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Take it easy out there

There have been two car accidents close to where I live in the last couple of weeks. They were both the result of speeding and high alcohol consumption.

We’re often happy to unload on visitors to the area causing our problems but both the accidents involved locals, so just consider the possible ramifications of your actions behind the wheel when you’re driving dangerously even if you know the road well.

Happy motoring.

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Questions with Notice for Feb 4 meeting

These are the questions that I have submitted to the GM for answers to be published in the Agenda for the February 4 Council meeting.

  1. Many properties have been rezoned in our Draft LEP currently with State planning. Can the General Manager inform us of the number of properties which are rezoned?
  2. The majority of the rezoned properties appear to have more restrictive zonings placed on them. Can the General Manager tell us the number of properties which have been rezoned with more restrictive land use, for example but not only, from an RU zoning to a C zoning?
  3. As these zoning changes remove previously lawful economic opportunities, will compensation be made available to those land holders who lose the ability to productively farm their own land?

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Blueys Beach roundabout

The developer’s plans are with council at the moment. The length of time this process takes will relate to any issues that council have with it. After that, the usual DA process will take place. I don’t know if these plans will be included in the options shown in the public exhibition.

Whenever I know more I’ll post it here.

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Intramaps

For in-depth information about all properties in our LGA go to https://maps.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/intramaps23a/. The link opens this page.

For information about Current and Proposed Zones I’ve added a page here.

After you agree to the conditions then zoom in to find the property you wish to investigate.

The layers menu on the left hand side is where the magic happens. It’s detail makes it a little intimidating so experiment first and watch the map change. If you know exactly what info you need you may have to open up the menus within ‘Layer’ to find it. By clicking within the boundaries of the property a menu will open on the right showing information about it.

I suggest that it’s worthwhile to open up the MCC Draft LEP menu making it possible to compare the current zoning listed in the right hand menu with what the colour of the zoning shows on the map. It’s best to check by turning all zonings off and choosing them one by one in case the colouring is not sufficiently clear to you.

Happy searching.

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Reporting a problem

The best way to report an issue to council is on their website at https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Contact-us.

You should be able to find the appropriate category from that page. Responses are quick and get assigned to the right people straight away. The problem will be assigned a trackable number and if you need to phone or write then this allows your initial complaint and any actions that council have instigated to be found immediately.

I was overcharged on my last water bill and it was sorted out in two days. And no, it wasn’t that quick because I’m a councillor.

Happy reporting!

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Council meeting times in 2026

Because of new requirements in council’s Code of Meeting Practice, meetings will begin at 1pm. The Open Forum, in which members of the public can speak on any topic, will remain at 9:30am. The Public Forum, for matters in the day’s agenda, will remain at 10am but look to be scheduled for an hour, previously 30 minutes. I’ll provide more details about meeting day on a dedicated page later.

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What we’re paid

Some people think that the mayor and councillors receive a considerable wage, others think we should get nothing. You’ll find the info below.

The mayor receives $101,470 plus a car, fuel card, reserved parking space and furnished office, also the help of a personal assistant.

Councillors receive $34,820 and are repaid expenses according to the table at the bottom.

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Have Your Say

MCC is currently seeking submissions on a large number of strategies and plans. Taree Regional Airport Strategic Plan, Draft Cemetery Policy, MidCoast Economic Development Strategy review, MidCoast Community Land (Generic) Plan of Management and MidCoast Aquatics Strategy 2025-2035.

It’s useful to get an overview of what might happen without your knowledge so I hope you’ll have a browse and make a submission.

https://haveyoursay.midcoast.nsw.gov.au

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Bushfires

Watching the bushfires in Victoria I’m reminded that Integral Energy told me that our Local Government Area is now the most dangerous area in NSW, overtaking Bega. We’ve had a lengthy dry spell here so why has there not been substantial controlled burning in the last few cooler months?