Newcastle council says a submission it made about rate pegs leading to "excessive cuts in expenditure" and "a mounting infrastructure backlog" was about "councils in general, rather than City of Newcastle specifically". Login or signup to continue reading The council made the comments in response to criticism from Liberal councillors about a submission City of Newcastle made to an inquiry on the ability of local governments to fund infrastructure, while defending itself as "one of the most financially sustainable councils in NSW". The submission, written by council CEO Jeremy Bath, said any discrepancy between the rate peg and cost changes had "long and ongoing effects".
"It creates unwarranted political difficulties for councils that really can and should raise rates above the peg to meet genuine expenditure needs and ensure their long-term sustainability"," the submission said. "This has led to excessive cuts in expenditure on infrastructure maintenance and renewal, leading to a mounting infrastructure backlog.", Liberal councillors Jenny Barrie and Callum Pull put out a statement calling on the council to reveal "what infrastructure cuts have been implemented" as a result.
"The lord mayor loves to hold up her little sign and brag about how much she's spending, and yet this submission paints a much darker picture," Cr Pull said. "This submission seems to indicate extensive hidden cuts to important infrastructure that the council hasn't been upfront about." Cr Barrie said th.
