Have your say on the Delivery Program, Operational Plan & Budget

Using the priorities from the Delivery Program, Council prepares an Operational Plan, Budget and Statement of Revenue Policy which must be adopted before the beginning of each financial year.

The Draft Operational Plan sets out the program of work Council plans to deliver in the coming financial year and the Budget demonstrates how this will be financed.

The Operational Plan progresses the four-year Delivery Program and the 10-year Byron Shire Community Strategic Plan 2035.

The documents must be publicly exhibited for at least 28 days, and submissions received by the Council in that period must be considered, before the final Operational Plan is adopted by Council.

The Statement of Revenue Policy provides information regarding how Council will levy ordinary land rates, charges and fees in the 2025/26 rating year and the anticipated revenue that will be derived from each separate rate, charge or fee.

Draft General Land Rates and Charges

The Draft 2025/26 Revenue Policy includes the proposed general land rating structure.

The rating structure incorporates the approved rate peg of 5.00% determined by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for Byron Shire Council representing the standard rate peg of 3.60% plus Emergency Services Levy factor 0.10% plus a Election Cost Adjustment 0.10% and plus a population increase factor of 1.30% then rounded to 5.0%.

Proposed increases in charges in the 2025/26 Revenue Policy include: 

• Waste Charges – increase of 3.6% to 4.3%
• Water access charges and usage charges increasing by 12.5% 
• Sewerage charge - increased by 3.50%. 
• The stormwater charge has not increased. It is a regulated charge that has not changed over the last nineteen years.

Draft Fees

Changes in cost are set out in the Draft 2025/26 Fees and Charges. Among those changes, some significant proposed changes include: 

• Pay Parking Permit Fees - Proposed fees include: 
  • Shire Resident Parking Permit - Proposed reinstatement of a fee set at $55
  • New Non-Resident Ratepayer Permit - Proposed fee $110
  • New Border Community Permit: For residents bordering Byron Shire – Proposed fee $110
• Cemetery Fees - Changes principally due to legislative changes under the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2013 that now require a levy payable to Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW on interments and the requirements to establish a perpetual maintenance fund. The proposed cemetery fees incorporate these changes.
• Section 355 Committee Managed Facility Fees - Changes to fees in consultation with the respective Committees to establish some consistency across facilities. This includes standard definitions and possible discounts for multiple/recurrent hires.

The Delivery Program is a commitment to the community about what a council will deliver during its term in office to achieve the Community Strategic Plan 2035

The council must establish a new Delivery Program after each ordinary election of councillors to cover the principal activities of the council for the 4-year period commencing on 1 July following the election.

Delivery Programs must ensure they provide for resources and activities to perform ALL of a council’s functions.

The Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework is the central planning framework for councils in NSW.

The Framework includes a suite of integrated plans that set out a vision and goals and strategic actions to achieve them.

It involves a reporting structure to communicate progress to council and the community as well as a structured timeline for review to ensure the goals and actions are still relevant. (Source: Office of Local Government).