A report presented to the meeting by general manager Catherine Dale, on behalf of council, moved to get the ball rolling on an application to increase rates higher than the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Council rate rises are annually set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, a system known as rate pegging, and are usually capped at CPI.

However last week general manager Catherine Dale sought approval from councillors to prioritise community infrastructure projects for consideration of a Special Rate Variation (SRV).

Councillor Milton Leslight voted against starting the process for a rates increase and said the community would not be supportive. 

Cr Leslight said he believed the community would be “scathing of us in moving forward on this”. 

“The community are far from satisfied with how we spend their money,” he said. 

“There may be a better alternative that we can look at.”

Cr Schwarz said at the meeting, he was a long way from supporting the idea of a special rates variation at this point in time but voted in favour of it anyway.

“Unless there is a list of infrastructure projects that are shovel ready, I will not support this,” he said. 

Cr Neil Burnside, who voted in favour of starting the process, said council needed to take “the community with us”. 

Cr Gabi Harding said she did not yet have a view, but voted in favour of starting the process.

“We owe it to the community to show them what the process would look like,” she said. 

“I support the motion.”

Cr Danielle Brice said it was a big decision. 

“Do we increase our rates or allow our infrastructure to continue to deteriorate,” she asked. 

“It’s something we need to discuss with our community.”

Cr Fergus Thompson supported council’s intent to apply for a special rate variation and said doing that “doesn’t lock us in to follow through”.

“We need to start the process and look at the future and what will suffer,” he said. 

“We should be conscious of what people will be able to pay to live here.”

Cr Liz Innes said it was a long process and starting the process did not mean the Eurobodalla was locked into a rate rise. 

The recommendation was approved.

The council will develop a prioritised list of community infrastructure projects that may be suitable for funding under a special rate variation.

Approval was also given at the meeting to prepare a community engagement plan to ensure residents are well informed and can have their say about the need for a special rates rise in Eurobodalla, if council decides to apply for one.