Warrumbungle Council mayor Kathryn Rhindfleish has told her fellow councillors the community will be stunned by the continuous cost shifting on to her Council. 

Her comments are on the back of several other Western Plains mayors who are saying the same thing.

At its Ordinary Council meeting on Thursday 16 Setember she said cost shifting had to stop now.

‘’The pressure on Councils to maintain services of appropriate standard that meet the needs of our communities has reached unprecedented levels," said Cr Rindfleish.

"The unrelenting growth of cost shifting to councils, coupled with rate pegging and insufficient state and federal funding, is increasingly eroding the possibility of financially sustainable local government and risking the capacity of councils to deliver the essential infrastructure and services required by their communities."

She said the latest research commissioned by Local Government NSW (LGNSW) shows that the increase in cost shifting has continued unabated by various State and Federal Government policies.

The cost shifting report, produced by independent consultants Morrison Low for the 2023/2024 financial year, reveals that $1.5 billion of expense has been imposed on councils.

This is an increase of approximately $140 million (10 per cent) since the last report for the 2021/22 financial year, when the total cost shift was estimated at $1.36 billion.

Mayor Rindfleish with Deputy Mayor Jason Newton. [IMAGE: WSC]

On average, this also now represents an inflated cost of $497.40 for each ratepayer, an increase of $36.72 from 2021/22.

‘’It is unfair to our communities that such a large portion of their rates are being diverted away from local priorities. 

"With councils having to fund this ongoing subsidy primarily for the State Government each and every year, it means our communities get less or go without.

"They go without safer roads. They go without parks.

"And they go without important community services that only councils provide, while their communities are effectively paying hidden taxes to other levels of government.

"Councillors, our communities deserve better."

Councillor Rhindfliesh told a council meeting on Thursday night the decades-long practice of cost shifting is continuing to undermine the financial sustainability of the local government sector.

‘’The November 2024 report of the parliamentary inquiry into the ability of councils to fund infrastructure and services called for the NSW Government to identify opportunities to reduce cost shifting to local government," she said.

"This call must be heard and acted upon.

"It is essential to councils and communities that the NSW Government urgently seek to address cost shifting through a combination of regulatory reform and appropriate funding.’’

Councillors supported their mayor voting to put a copy of the cost shifting report be placed on Council’s website so that our communities can access it.

Council will also write to the Premier, the NSW Treasurer and the NSW Minister for Local Government seeking that they urgently address these costs through a combination of regulatory reform and appropriate funding.

The mayor says when people read it they will be ‘’genuinely shocked.’’