Nambucca Shire Council proposes to change the way it collects development levies to make more funding available for high priority community infrastructure and to cut red tape.
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Mayor Rhonda Hoban said a number of regional councils had already simplified how contributions on new developments were levied and their apparent success had encouraged staff to consider the same approach for this area.
"Since 1985, council has raised development contributions using nine different plans," Mrs Hoban said.
"Each plan contains a schedule of works with the burden of the cost of new infrastructure apportioned between existing and new residents.
"The council is obliged to maintain separate reserves for each of these plans and is prevented from spending the collected levies until it can fund the required apportionment from existing rate payers."
She said apart from creating a huge amount of work and compliance costs, raising monetary contributions this way across the nine plans tended to produce a lot of small reserves which can't be spent in a timely manner.
This in turn leads to contribution plans having outdated cost estimates and existing ratepayers having to bear an even greater proportion of the infrastructure cost.
"It has hamstrung opportunities to deliver infrastructure and services because there is no flexibility in the plans' catchments and work schedules," she said.
"While the council is continually reviewing its capital works program to prioritise the repair or replacement of failing assets and the provision of new assets the work schedules in the contribution plans remain static."
"We propose the introduction of a development contribution on all new applications of 0.5 per cent of the cost of development worth $100,001-$200,000 and one per cent of the cost of development in excess of $200,000.
"There would be no contribution required for development with a value of less than $100,000."
She said financial modelling showed this approach would net approximately the same development contribution revenue as the existing nine plans, however it would allow the council to more readily spend the funds on much-needed community infrastructure.
The draft Section 7.12 Development Contributions Plan 2019 will be on public exhibition until Thursday, April 18.
Any person can make a submission in writing about the draft plan during this period and attend a public information evening being held at 6pm on Wednesday, April 10 in the Council Chambers, 44 Princess Street, Macksville.
The draft contribution plan can be found on Council's website www.nambucca.nsw.gov.au and hard-copies of the draft plan are displayed at the Nambucca Heads Library, Macksville Library and in Council's Macksville administration building.
Written submissions must be addressed to the General Manager, Nambucca Shire Council, PO Box 177, Macksville, 2447 and be received by 4.30pm on Thursday 18 April 2019.
For enquiries please contact Rhonda Hoban on 65695556 or 0408 661 412 or General Manager Michael Coulter on 65680200 or 0409153788.
