FAQs

The Delivery Program Operational Plan is Council’s response to the Community Strategic Plan 2035 which is currently on exhibition. It maps out Council’s four-year strategies and one-year actions, as informed by the priorities set by the community. The Actions are budgeted and resourced activities that Council will undertake over the next financial year (2025/26).

Once the consultation period for the draft Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program Operational Plan, Budget and Fees & Charges has finished, a report on the consultation findings will be provided to Council along with any proposed changes to the draft plans. When Council has adopted the report, the documents will be finalised and ready for the start of the new financial year on 1 July 2025. Proposed fees and charges will also commence from 1 July 2025.

Council is obligated by the Local Government Act 1993 to levy and collect rates from all property owners in the Shoalhaven (except from properties exempt from rates). The funds received from ratepayers are used to finance services, facilities and infrastructure across our city. While we also collect income from other sources such as ‘user pays’ arrangements and our commercial businesses, rates are Council’s largest and most important source of revenue.

The Valuer General issues new land values to councils to use in levying rates at least every three years. Rates in 2025/26 will be levied using the current cycle, 2022 base date land values. These land values were used for rating in 2024/25 and will be used again in 2025/26. It is important to note that changes in the underlying land values following a revaluation (usually, once every 3-years) does not change Council’s total rates income but does lead to a redistribution of rates levied on individual properties depending on the respective changes in land value (increase or decrease) between properties. The next redistribution of rates following new land values will not occur until the 2026/27 rating year.

These land values provide the basis for how rates are determined, while the permissible increase Council is allowed to increase its total rate income each year is set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART). Following extensive engagement with the community in late 2024, Council applied to IPART in February 2025, for a 12% special variation to general income in 2025/26. IPART is currently considering further feedback from the community in their assessment of Council’s application. IPART is scheduled to advise Council of their final decision in May/June 2025. In the meantime, Council’s draft Statement of Revenue Policy is presented with two possible rating scenarios, i.e. the special variation 12% scenario, and the 3.8% rate-peg scenario is presented for draft exhibition purposes.

More information about how rates are calculated can be found on the Rates Information & FAQs web page

Should IPART approve Council’s application for a special variation for 2025/26, a ratepayer paying the average Residential rate can expect to pay around $161.57 more in 2025/26, with average Residential rates of approximately $1,681.26.

However, if IPART refuses Council’s application for a special variation, Council will increase rates by the 3.8% rate-peg. Under the rate-peg the average Residential ratepayer will see an increase of approximately $38.36 in 2025/26, with average Residential rates of approximately $1,558.05.

A thorough condition assessment of our roads and community buildings is underway and will provide an evidence-based analysis of the amount of money required to fix our assets. Once this is completed, further conversations will be had with the elected council about what's needed to repair our roads and buildings into the future. A revised Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) will be prepared and presented to Council in late 2025. The plan will consider the need for future Special Rate Variations.

A standard 120L Domestic Waste Management Charge service is proposed to increase 5.1% from $505 to $531, which is an additional $26 per year in 2025/26. An outline of Domestic Waste Management charges can be found in Fees & Charges Part 1.

Water charges typically rise because of several interrelated factors, including:

• Aging Infrastructure: Water systems require substantial maintenance and upgrades. This reduces the risk of catastrophic failure impacting the community. These works come at a high cost.
  
  
• Rising Operational Expenses: Costs such as energy consumption, chemical treatments and labour have increased over time.
  
  
• Regulatory and Environmental Requirements: Compliance with stricter environmental regulations often necessitates additional investment in technology and processes.
  
  
• Capital works: Planning and design on two significant projects with construction to commence in 2030.
  1. Bamarang to Milton water trunk main (Stage 2) - $175m  
  2. Northern Water recycling plant - $100m  

In two ways:

• Water access: All residential properties, holiday homes and Air BNB included, will show an increase in this charge. By design, this will assist to off-set the per-unit cost of water.
  
  
• Usage Levels: Households with higher water consumption will likely see a more significant increase.

Fundamentally, the decision is a budgetary statement, approved by Council. In the need to maintain and improve the water and sewer systems, justifications include:

• Ensuring Reliable Service: Upgrading infrastructure reduces leakages and service interruptions.
  
  
• Investing in Water Quality: Better treatment processes and contamination controls are expensive but vital.
  
  
• Long-Term Sustainability: Higher rates provide the required funding to ensure that the infrastructure and operations remains viable for future generations.

Yes. Shoalhaven Water offers financial assistance to residential customers who are having difficulty paying their water accounts. If this is you, you may be eligible for vouchers to assist with the water usage component of your water account.

• Payment Assistance Scheme: Any residential property owner or tenant connected to our town water supply who has an unpaid water account, is able to apply for payment assistance.
  
  
• Vouchers: Payment vouchers are issued and distributed through community agencies. You don’t need to be a pre-existing client of an agency to gain this support.

You can provide your feedback via one of the following methods:

• Completing the online submission on the Get Involved page
• Emailing: council@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au and type 'DPOP Feedback' in the subject line. 
• Mail to: Chief Executive Officer, PO Box 42, Nowra, NSW 2541
• If you would like assistance providing feedback over the phone, please call Council on 1300 293 111 

Feedback must be received by 5pm 29 May 2025.

Following public exhibition, feedback will be collated and used to inform any updates to Council’s plans. The final draft documents are planned to be presented to a Council meeting before 30 June for endorsement.