Protests erupted at the Northern Beaches Council's event on January 28, 2025, as residents brave the wild rainy weather and hail to oppose a proposed 39.6 percent rate hike. Around 200 demonstrators filled the council chambers, holding placards demanding to reject the significant increase, which, if accepted, would mean average households would face additional costs of approximately $673 annually, with businesses seeing increases around $1611.
The council vote, anticipated to happen shortly, is based on recommendations from staff who argue the adjustments are necessary for long-term financial sustainability. Nevertheless, community sentiment is at boiling point. Local resident Mark Horton voiced his concerns directly at the council meeting, stating, "I can not afford my rate rise, I am paying in installments." His question, "Is staff driving Council or is Council driving staff?" echoed the frustrations of many present.
Liberal MPs James Griffin and Matt Cross also expressed their dissatisfaction toward the council, quoting, "There is community outrage with this proposal... it will place even greater cost of living pressures on our community." They stressed the importance of listening to constituents and accused the council of being "out of touch with the community," highlighting the distinguished sentiments from survey results indicating more income-sensitive recommendations.
The Northern Beaches Council, which oversees areas including Manly, Brookvale, and Newport, revealed they face growing financial pressures from various sources. These include inflation, costs associated with natural disasters, obligations post-COVID-19 pandemic effects, and supplementary shifts in costs from other government tiers. The impending vote follows the results of the community survey, wherein 51 percent of respondents leaned toward supporting lower rate increases of 10.7 percent instead of the proposed hike.
Further criticisms arose from independent councillor Vincent De Luca who denounced the proposed increases as unjustifiable. He brought attention to the budget's allocation, emphasizing, "There are 111 managers, directors, and executives working for council which costs us $25 million alone. This is appalling,” he said. With increasing costs and austerity measures juxtaposed against the $14.9 million operating surplus from the last financial year, many locals question the rationale behind such severe increases to their costs.
Another significant point raised by protests focused on council transparency. De Luca accused the council of failing to genuinely engage with residents during the consultation process, which he deemed farcical and.efforts which apparently wasted $200,000 of ratepayers' money. He also questioned the legitimacy of the financial justifications provided, calling for clearer accountability over the council's operations.
The atmosphere surrounding the council meeting was charged with anger as community parallels emerged between their past experiences of council amalgamation promises aimed at streamlining processes to boost cost-efficiency. Social media amplified these collective frustrations, as some residents took to the internet to voice skepticism about the council's fiscal management techniques. One protestor encapsulated this, asking, "weren’t we told amalgamations would see our council more streamlined and more cost efficient?"
With intense scrutiny surrounding the council's financial decisions, the vote looms large for both local households and businesses who are already feeling the toll of living costs soaring. Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins remarked on the gravity of the decision, asserting, "The looming decision was difficult but critically important... which will impact services and our community infrastructure, now and for future generations." This broad statement recognized the balancing act required by the council between maintaining service levels and ensuring the financial sustainability necessary to uphold future community expectations.
Tomorrow, as the council convenes to finalize the vote on the proposed rate hike, the results presumably will walk the line between community dissatisfaction and the pressures for fiscal stability. The community anticipates whether their outcry can sway the decision-makers of their fiscal fate.
Following the outcome of the vote, it remains to be seen how the council will handle its growing financial pressures and whether it will heed the calls from its constituents or ignore their urgent concerns. The increasing costs associated with local services, the higher than anticipated proposed rate rises, and the backlash from protestors are sure to shape the council's direction and relationship with the Northern Beaches residents moving forward.