Hundreds of ratepayers vent their anger ahead of Kempsey Shire Council rates vote

Dick Pearson: Kempsey Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association

• Councillors have a really tough decision to make.
  
• The forecast will still be there on Wednesday morning, regardless of what decision is made regarding the SRV.
• "Tomorrow's vote is not the end". The community can submit to IPART and IPART doesn't have to accept an application from council.

Julie Coburn

• The original rate increase options were "extreme" and caused "genuine concern" within the community.
• "The community shouldn't be seen as a pot of gold to pull council out of trouble."
• "We say no to any increase at this time."
  
• Asked for councillors to listen to and respect the community.

Mark Walker

• There is an "affordability crisis."
  
• How is council going to treat the shire's "most vulnerable"?
  
• "These people are already doing it tough. We have had to tighten our belts.. it's time council does the same."
• Called the application a "Lazy policy", saying an SRV is the "easy way out."
• "We need innovation. We need to seek alternatives...we must not fail our most disadvantaged."

Genevieve Lovell: Stuarts Point and District Response (SPADCO)

• This is a very low socio-economic area.
  
• "What we have on our hands is homelessness. They would not be able to rent in our area."
• "We have to think of some other way."

Patricia Wheeldon

• "We simply can't pay."
  
• Wants council to go back to basics e.g. road, water and waste and "avoid speculative ventures."
  

Kyle Arnott, Figure it Out KSC.

• Can't support local businesses whose rates are going up if our rates are unaffordable.
  
• Concerned of a future "ghost town."
• Just under a third of the shire's population, over 9000 signatures on a petition, is opposed to an SRV.
• "Our message is very, very clear, we're not against progress... but we need to find a solution that is sustainable for all of our residents of the Kempsey LGA."

Hannah Relf

• "We can't keep up"
  
• Suggested appointing administrator to assist in council's recovery.
• Landlords are going to pass it onto renters and so residents and ratepayers are all going to be impacted.

Fred Andrews, Crescent Head Ratepayers (CHRARA)

• Suggests council has no choice but to decrease staff.
• Capacity to pay document is an example of more ratepayers' money down the drain.

David Duff, NSW Farmers 

• Understands a need for an increase in revenue, however, ppposes a rate hike calling it an "economic injustice."
• Expansive land is necessary for agricultural practices, but the "current approach lacks fairness"
• Droughts, bushfires and flood, and the bee industry are just some challenges Shire's farmers have faced.
  
• "We've taken the red pen to our budgets and we've cut... if you're not making the money you can't spend it."
  
• An SRV will drive agribusiness out of the area.

Ken Scotton

• "Numbers will be significant" for those who can't pay.
  
• Warns of the "wrath of the community in ignoring the predicament."
• "The vote is not difficult, the ratepayers have spoken and it's a big NO from us."

John Moore

• "There must be another way. Council would have to be joking if they feel this increase will not impact the ratepayers of the shire".
• "Rate rise would lead to more empty shopfronts. Ratepayers don't have the spare money to support the shopkeepers."
  
• Empty shopfronts are "not a good look when tourists come to town."
• Administrator should be appointed to this council.

Council staff

• There has been a genuine effort to engage with the community through print media, interviews with local news, community organisations, direct mail out, markets.
  
• Council has encouraged submissions and provided information.

• The SRV is not something new.
  
• "The need for an SRV has been a part of the Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP)for the last five years...[documents] have all been available to the public."