Wollongong City Council has adopted the Management Plan for 2011/2014 allowing for the Budget, Capital Budget, Revenue Policy and Fees and Charges for 2011-2012 to be adopted.

The draft Management Plan was on public exhibition for a month and received 25 submissions from community members and organisations, addressing 55 issues.

Council Administrator Richard Colley said Council received submissions in support of Council initiatives on our re-evaluation of the leasing agreement on IT products and the savings Council has achieved.

“It’s significant too that many submissions refer to Council’s Strategic Directions,” Mr Colley said. “This is heartening as it shows that there is an increasing awareness in the community about Council’s direction settings.”

Council also recognises that from July 2012 on Council will use the guidelines set down in the NSW Integrated Planning and Reporting framework which will see Council adopt a Community Strategic Plan with a 10 year outlook. At that stage Council will also adopt a Delivery Program, Operational Plan and Annual Report to take the place of the previous Management Plans.

In adopting the Management Plan Council has also struck the rates for all residential and commercial properties in the city.

Council’s 2011/2012 rates will increase by the rate pegging limit of 2.8 per cent set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.

The base rate for residential assessments for the ordinary rate has been set at $549.13.

Council has also set the residential stormwater management charge at $25, with the residential strata charge set at $12.50. The total estimated income from the stormwater management charge is $1.712 million. The charge will enable Council to continue to implement strategies identified in the Stormwater Management and Floodplain Management Plans. The total cost of implementing all strategies in these plans is more than $80 million.

Domestic waste charges for 2011/2012 have been set. These include the following annual charges for occupied land:
80 litres $270
120 litres $352
240 litres $579

For domestic waste Council has 78,051 serviced properties and 1,472 parcels of vacant land with service availability. The charges for 2011/2012 have increased by 3.5 per cent.

For more information you can visit Wollongong City Council’s website at www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on (02) 4227 7111.